France vows to tackle motorbike 'rodeos' after children injured
The French government has pledged a new crackdown against illicit motorbike cruising by youths in suburbs across the country, after two children were seriously injured by a rider near Paris.
The rowdy late-night races and stunts known as "rodeos" have become increasingly popular in particular in low-income neighbourhoods, leading to complaints about traffic and noise from local officials and many residents.
On Friday evening, a 10-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy were hit by a rider while playing tag outside their home in Pontoise, northwest of the capital.
French daily Le Figaro reported on Monday that the girl suffered a blow to the head and remained in serious condition in hospital, while the boy had a broken leg.
The accident came after a 19-year-old man was killed in June after being hit by a bike rider in the western city of Rennes.
"I have asked the police to step up their interventions this month," Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said in the southern city of Marseille.
Nonetheless the rodeos are often tolerated or defended as a gritty urban subculture that provides an outlet for disaffected youths, with an upcoming film, "Rodeo", that appears to glorify the gatherings and generated a strong buzz at the Cannes film festival last May.
Police have carried out 8,000 operations to break up rodeos in the past two months, leading to 1,200 arrests and the seizure of around 700 motorbikes and other vehicles including all-terrain "quads".
In 2018, parliament passed a law increasing penalties for the riders to up to five years in prison.
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The rowdy late-night races and stunts known as "rodeos" have become increasingly popular in particular in low-income neighbourhoods, leading to complaints about traffic and noise from local officials and many residents.
On Friday evening, a 10-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy were hit by a rider while playing tag outside their home in Pontoise, northwest of the capital.
French daily Le Figaro reported on Monday that the girl suffered a blow to the head and remained in serious condition in hospital, while the boy had a broken leg.
The accident came after a 19-year-old man was killed in June after being hit by a bike rider in the western city of Rennes.
"I have asked the police to step up their interventions this month," Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said in the southern city of Marseille.
Nonetheless the rodeos are often tolerated or defended as a gritty urban subculture that provides an outlet for disaffected youths, with an upcoming film, "Rodeo", that appears to glorify the gatherings and generated a strong buzz at the Cannes film festival last May.
Police have carried out 8,000 operations to break up rodeos in the past two months, leading to 1,200 arrests and the seizure of around 700 motorbikes and other vehicles including all-terrain "quads".
In 2018, parliament passed a law increasing penalties for the riders to up to five years in prison.
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