The filming by private persons of acts of violence–crimes, riots, police brutality–has been banned in France. The new measure, sponsored by Nicolas Sarkozy, minister of the interior and a leading candidate for president, is one provision of a juvenile crime law that received final approval from the Constitutional Council on March 3. It provides up to five years in prison and fines of up to 75,000 Euros ($98,000) to anyone not acting in a professional capacity–such as a licensed journalist–or using the footage as evidence in a court of law.
The ostensible purpose of the ban is to curb “happy slapping,” the recording of assaults and other crimes by accomplices in order to post videos on the Internet as trophies. Although this practice began among young criminals in South London, France is the first country to legislate against it.
