French Code of Criminal Procedure
In forcePublic action for misdemeanours shall be barred after six years from the day on which the offence was committed.
Public prosecution for the offences mentioned in article 706-47 of this code, when committed against minors, with the exception of those mentioned in articles 222-29-1 and 227-26 of the Penal Code, shall be time-barred after ten years from the age of majority of the latter.
Public prosecution for the offences mentioned in articles 222-12,222-29-1 et 227-26 of the same code, when committed on minors, shall be prescribed by twenty completed years from the date of their coming of age.
However, in the case of sexual assault or sexual molestation committed on a minor, in the event of the commission of sexual assault or sexual molestation on another minor by the same person before the expiry of the periods provided for in the second and third paragraphs of this article, the limitation period for the first offence shall be extended, where applicable, until the date of limitation of the new offence.
Public proceedings for the offence referred to in Article 434-3 of the Penal Code shall lapse, where the failure to inform concerns an assault or sexual violation committed against a minor, ten completed years from the victim's coming of age and, where the failure to inform concerns a rape committed against a minor, twenty completed years from the victim's coming of age.
Public prosecution of the offences mentioned in Article 706-167 of this Code, when they are punishable by ten years' imprisonment, as well as that of the offences mentioned in Articles 706-16 of this Code, excluding those defined in Articles 421-2-5 to 421-2-5-2 of the Criminal Code, and 706-26 of this code and to the Book IV bis of the Penal Code shall lapse after twenty years from the day on which the offence was committed.
