Are parents in France and Italy liable for damage caused by student protesters?

What the report says

France and Italy are both weighing or expanding rules that could make parents financially responsible when minors involved in protests damage property. In an Al Jazeera explainer published on 23 October 2026, the focus was on youth-led demonstrations in France and Italy that began over school conditions, public spending cuts and, more broadly, anger about living costs, fuel prices and public services.

In Italy, the government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni approved new measures on Tuesday in response to unrest that included rioting in Milan, Bologna and Turin. Among them is a tougher approach to parental liability: authorities can seek compensation from parents or their property when children are involved in vandalism or looting. The package also includes prison and fine provisions for people who take part in dangerous group protests, and expanded powers affecting some protesters aged 14 to 18.

In France, parents already face civil liability under the civil code for harm caused by their minor children, and a 2024 legal change strengthened that framework. Al Jazeera reported that a new bill nicknamed “rioters pay” is now being discussed by the government, with a debate scheduled for 27 October. If adopted, it could make people responsible for vandalism pay compensation and extend liability to parents when minors cause criminal damage.

The issue matters because it reflects a broader European move to shift protest-related repair costs away from public budgets and toward families or individual offenders. Al Jazeera noted that similar parental responsibility rules also exist in some other countries, including Sweden and parts of the United States.