Rape was the most frequently convicted crime in French courts last year, with 1,800 cases resulting in convictions, a Justice Ministry report reveals.
Sexual crimes accounted for 62 percent of the 2,900 criminal convictions handed down by French courts in 2023, the report released this week found.
Aggravating circumstances were considered in more than 70 percent of these cases, and 10 percent involved perpetrators who were the victim's spouse or partner.
In total, nearly 550,000 people were convicted in 2023, while some 900,000 offences were recorded in criminal records.
However, serious crimes such as murder, rape, armed robbery and violent crimes, account for only 0.3 percent of these infractions.
Misdemeanors dominated criminal records, representing 95 percent of all cases. These include theft, fraud, violence, discrimination, sexual assault and involuntary homicide.
Traffic-related offences contributed significantly, with “fifth-class” infractions—like driving under the influence or without a licence—making up 4.5 percent of criminal record entries.
Among misdemeanors, road traffic violations represented 36 percent of cases.
Imprisonment
The report highlighted imprisonment as the most commonly used penalty in France’s judicial system. Nearly 46 percent of all punishments handed out last year were prison sentences, and in criminal cases, more than 90 percent of convictions led to incarceration.
The average length of prison sentences in 2023 was 9.7 months.
Fines made up 36 percent of penalties issued, primarily for misdemeanors and infractions. Convictions of minors stood at 29,700 cases, with rape cited as the leading offence among minors convicted of crimes.
