Sexual crimes against minors: the Senate votes a no-time-limit measure, not yet a final law
Checked on
Published on
On 28 October the Senate adopted amendments on making rapes of minors imprescriptible. Their scope and the rest of the parliamentary journey must be distinguished.
In this article
What was voted
According to the Senate record, amendments to the child-protection bill were adopted on 28 October. The press reports 252 votes for and 80 against. The measure targets rapes of minors, not all offences.
Understanding the statute of limitations
Prescription here means a time limit after which criminal prosecution can no longer be brought. The same word can mean a medical prescription, but its meaning in this article is legal.
An immediate change?
No: these are amendments to a text under discussion. According to AFP, the vote on the bill as a whole in the Senate is planned for 3 November. Reconciling the versions of the two chambers is still needed afterwards.
The point to remember
Adoption of an amendment, final adoption and entry into force are separate stages. This vote does not allow us to conclude that all old cases will be reopened. The final text and its conditions of application will have to be examined.
Learn the grammar
French grammar
Learn sentence patterns and usage from the article’s own sentences.
01The passive in the passé composé
a / ont été + past participle
Selon le registre du Sénat, des amendements au projet de loi sur la protection des enfants ont été adoptés le 28 octobre.Key pointsThe thing that received the action is the subject, as in “was adopted” or “was confirmed”. A / ont is avoir and été is the past participle of être. The last past participle changes in gender and number with the subject: adopté, adoptée, adoptés, adoptées.
02Negation and its scope
ne / n’ … pas · ne … plus
La prescription désigne ici un délai au-delà duquel les poursuites pénales ne peuvent plus être engagées.Key pointsNormally ne and pas wrap the verb. Before a vowel, ne becomes n’. Check which part of the sentence the negation covers. Ne … plus means “no longer”.
03Citing a source with selon
selon + noun / organisation
Selon l’AFP, le vote sur l’ensemble du projet au Sénat est prévu le 3 novembre.Key pointsSelon means “according to”. Put a person or organisation after it as the source. It separates facts the writer checked directly from what another body or report said. Citing a source does not turn a forecast into an accomplished fact.
04Pouvoir: ability and possibility
peut / peuvent / pourrait + infinitive
Le même mot peut désigner une ordonnance médicale, mais son sens est juridique dans cet article.Key pointsPut a base-form verb after pouvoir. Peut means “can” or “may”; the conditional pourrait gives a more reserved possibility, “might”. It does not necessarily mean implementation is settled.
05Expressing a plan or a deadline
être prévu / prévoir / être envisagé
Selon l’AFP, le vote sur l’ensemble du projet au Sénat est prévu le 3 novembre.Key pointsPrévoir means “to plan, to expect”. Être prévu means “to be scheduled” and être envisagé means “to be under consideration”. In the news, read them separately from expressions that describe events that have already happened. They do not say that the event has already taken place.
06The construction il s’agit de
il s’agit de + noun / infinitive
Non : il s’agit d’amendements à un texte en discussion.Key pointsIt explains what something is about: “it is a matter of…”. The il is not a particular man but a formal subject of this construction. The negative il ne s’agit pas de means “this is not about…”.
Japanese grammar
Understand the structure and usage from the text.
01Citing a source: によると
noun + によると
上院の公式記録によると、子どもの保護に関する法案の修正案が28日に可決されました。Key pointsAs in “LCPによると”, it shows where the information comes from. What that source reported follows. It is used differently from “私にとって”, which gives one’s own opinion.
02Polite negation and plain form
〜ではありません / 〜ではない
対象は未成年者への強姦などで、あらゆる犯罪の時効をなくす案ではありません。Key pointsThey negate a noun and similar content. “ではありません” is the polite form and “ではない” the plain form. “成立ではありません” shows that it cannot be said to have been concluded.
03Qualifying a noun with に関する
noun + に関する + noun
上院は28日、未成年者への強姦などに関する時効撤廃の修正案を可決しました。Key pointsAs in “税控除に関する採決”, it explains what the following noun relates to. It is close to “about” and is common in headlines and descriptions.
04Giving examples with など
noun / expression + など
上院は28日、未成年者への強姦などに関する時効撤廃の修正案を可決しました。Key points“暴言など” gives “abusive language” as one example. It is not necessarily a closed list of only the things named. It also helps when reading the scope of a news story.
05The polite past ました
verb stem (連用形) + ました
上院は28日、未成年者への強姦などに関する時効撤廃の修正案を可決しました。Key pointsIn “発表しました”, ました makes a verb polite past. The negative is “ませんでした”. Read the actual date together with the date and time in the text.
06Quoting with と: content and report
plain-form sentence + と + verbe de parole (報じる, 説明する…)
報道では賛成252、反対80とされています。Key pointsと takes the content that is reported or explained. In “改定する方針だと報じました”, “改定する方針だ” is what the report said. Separating the content from who said it and how makes long sentences easier to read.