theft france witnesses theft-act
Witnessing a theft in France
<p>When I witness a theft, for example, a pickpocket in a busy RER, am I bound by law to report the theft? Am I required/protected by law to defend the victim/intervene in the act? </p>

<p>Under <a href="http://www.legislationline.org/documents/section/criminal-codes/country/30" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Article 223-6 of the Criminal Code</a></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Anyone who, being able to prevent by immediate action a felony or a
  misdemeanour against the bodily integrity of a person, without risk to
  himself or to third parties, wilfully abstains from doing so, is
  punished by five years' imprisonment and a fine of €75,000. The same
  penalties apply to anyone who wilfully fails to offer assistance to a
  person in danger which he could himself provide without risk to
  himself or to third parties, or by initiating rescue operations.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Pocket-picking is a special case of theft that violates "bodily integrity"; so this article does seem to create a conditional legal duty to intervene. There does not appear to be a specific law creating a duty to report crimes to the police, but that might be implied by the duty to initiate rescue operations.</p>
