France and Italy are tightening measures to hold parents financially responsible for property damage caused by their minor children, as youth-led protests and riots over the cost of living, low wages and education grievances have prompted tougher legal responses.
Both countries have legal provisions establishing parental responsibility for damage caused by minors. Recent reforms and proposed measures seek to strengthen enforcement, including compensation claims, fines and the seizure of assets, says First Post.
France's existing law and proposed reforms
France's Article 1242 of the Civil Code establishes parental responsibility for damage caused by minor children.
The law states: "Parents, in their capacity as holders of parental authority, are by right jointly and severally liable for damage caused by their minor children, except when the latter have been entrusted to a third party by an administrative or judicial decision".
A 2025 amendment to Article 1242 removed the requirement that parents must live with their children for civil liability to apply, strengthening the scope of parental accountability during youth justice proceedings.
Compensation can be pursued through civil proceedings or housing-related civil liability insurance. Parents without insurance risk having their assets seized to cover damages.
A separate government proposal, known as the "Rioters Pay" bill, is scheduled for debate on 27 October. It would require people responsible for vandalism, or their parents when the perpetrators are minors, to pay up to 10,000 euros ($11,200) in compensation.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu described the measure as "absolutely essential", saying it would help ensure taxpayers do not bear the costs of damage caused by demonstrators.
Italy's parental liability and tougher penalties
Italy's Article 2048 of the Civil Code establishes liability for parents and guardians for certain unlawful acts committed by minors living with them.
The provision covers the "unlawful act of unemancipated minor children or persons subject to guardianship who live with them. The same provision applies to the foster parent".
Under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's administration, the government has approved measures allowing authorities to impose fines directly and pursue parents' wages and assets for criminal damage caused by their children.
New rules also impose penalties for participation in groups of at least five people whose activities jeopardise public safety. Offenders face up to five years in prison and fines of up to 20,000 euros ($22,460).
Authorities can also administratively detain people aged 14 to 18 if they are considered potential security threats, extending a power previously restricted to adults.
Alongside the legal measures, 500 military personnel have been deployed to Milan until the end of the year.
Where protests and restrictions have spread
In France, demonstrations have taken place in cities including Orleans, where anti-far-right rallies have been held, and Paris, where union marches have faced extended partial curfews.
Major Paris cultural institutions, including the Louvre, Musée d'Orsay and Picasso Museum, have been forced to close. Complete demonstration bans are in place in Marseille and Lyon, while curfews affect Lille, Bordeaux and Nice.
In Italy, demonstrations have affected major cities including Milan, Rome, Turin, Bologna, Genoa and Florence.
Related protests over living conditions, education costs and housing have also spread to Belgium, Portugal and Albania.
What the measures mean for parents
The French and Italian legal frameworks make parents potentially financially liable for damage caused by their minor children, although the applicable provisions and enforcement mechanisms differ between the two countries.
France already has a civil-law basis for parental liability and is considering an additional compensation measure under its proposed "Rioters Pay" bill. Italy has approved measures permitting fines and the attachment of wages and assets in cases involving criminal damage caused by children.
The measures combine financial accountability for families with broader penalties and security restrictions targeting participation in public disorder. Their stated financial objective in France is to prevent taxpayers from bearing the costs of damage caused by demonstrators.