What the court must decide
The juvenile judge or juvenile court decides whether the alleged acts are proved, whether they can be attributed to the child and whether they constitute the charged offence. The court may also decide a civil party’s compensation claim, but that claim remains distinct from proof of criminal guilt.
Criminal responsibility requires discernment. French law presumes a child under thirteen not to have discernment and a child aged thirteen or over to have it; the practical issue is whether the child understood and intended the act and can understand the meaning of the proceedings.
How the hearing is conducted
A juvenile judge hears the criminal case in chambers. A juvenile court has a different composition and setting, but the child must always have a lawyer. The child, prosecutor, civil party, legal representatives and any witnesses are among those who may be heard before judgment.
The exact speaking order can vary. The child must nevertheless be able to understand the allegations, the evidence relied on, the prosecutor’s position and the civil party’s claim, and then respond with counsel before the court decides.
Preparing the response to the allegations
Read the summons and case papers closely, checking the child’s identity and age at the time, each date and location, the legal classification and the role attributed to the child. Compare interviews, police records, images, messages, expert evidence and witness accounts to separate agreed, disputed and uncertain points.
The child should be able to explain in their own words what is accepted, what is disputed and what was not understood. A simple chronology that fits the evidence and identifies specific mistakes or inconsistencies is more useful than a speech learned by heart.
Possible decisions and the next stage
If the allegation is not proved, the court acquits the child and no criminal sanction can follow from that prosecution. If guilt is established, the ordinary procedure opens an educational probation period and lists a sentencing hearing normally taking place six to nine months later.
The court may instead decide the sanction immediately by a reasoned ruling, after hearing the parties, if it has sufficient information about the child and considers educational probation unnecessary. That single-hearing route has separate statutory safeguards and does not follow automatically from a finding of guilt.
Practical preparation before attending court
Prepare one file on the allegations and evidence and another on personal or educational circumstances relevant only to provisional measures or the later stage. Keep a separate note of the civil party’s claim, the amount sought and the documents said to support it.
Confirm the court, time, access arrangements and everyone required to attend. The child should meet counsel early enough to ask questions, review earlier statements and understand which decisions may be made on the day.
Discuss your situation
You can send the firm the essential facts, relevant dates and any known deadline.
Frequently asked questions
Does a finding of guilt also decide the sentence?
Not under the ordinary procedure. It opens educational probation and the sentence is decided at a later hearing. Guilt and sentencing are dealt with on the same day only where the statutory conditions for a single hearing are satisfied.
Is the victim’s compensation always decided at the guilt hearing?
No. The court may decide the civil claim with guilt, but it may leave compensation until sentencing when the claim is not ready or further supporting documents are still required.