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00Aug29b1 From 1977 Le Monde of January 26, 1977:We received the following communication:On January 27, 28, and 29, Bernard Dejager, Jean-Claude Gallien, and Jean Burckardt will by tried before the cour d'assises des Yvelines for lascivious acts with a minor of less than 15 years of age. Arrested in autumn of 1973, it is for more than three years now that they remain in remand. Only Bernard Dejager has recently benefited from the presumption of innocence. Such a long time in remand to investigate a simple `vice' affair, where the children have not been victims of the slightest violence, but have to the contrary testified before the examining magistrates that they consented -- although the law at present denies them their right to consent -- such a long time in remand we do consider scandalous in itself. Today they risk to be sentenced to a long prison term either for having had sexual relations with minors, boys as well as girls, or for having encouraged and taken photographs of their sexual plays. We believe that there is an incongruity between the designation as a `crime' which serves to legitimize such a severity, and the facts themselves; even more so between the antiquitated law and the reality of every day life in a society which tends to know about the sexuality of children and adolescents (thirteen-year olds are given the pill, for what doing?) French law contradicts itself if it recognizes a capacity for discernement in thirteen and fourteen year olds, so as to be able to try and sentence them, but denies them the same capability with respect to their emotional and sexual life. Three years for caresses and kisses are enough. We would not understand if on January the 29th, Dejager, Gallien, and Burckardt would not be freed.
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