Enacted parts

ARTICLE 222-7
Acts of violence causing an unintended death are punished by fifteen years' criminal imprisonment.
ARTICLE 222-8
(Act no. 96-647 of 22 July 1996 Article 13 Official Journal of 23 July 1996) 
(Act no. 99-505 of 18 June 1999 Article 14 Official Journal of 19 June 1999)
(Act no. 2003-88 of 3 February 2003 Article 4 Official Journal of 4 February 2003)
(Act no. 2003-239 of 18 March 2003 Article 47 IV, Article 60 I, II Official Journal of 19 March 2003)
The offence defined under article 222-7 is punished by twenty years' criminal imprisonment where it is committed:
1° against a minor under fifteen years of age;
2° against a person whose particular vulnerability, due to age, sickness or infirmity, to a physical or psychological
disability or to pregnancy, is apparent or known to the perpetrator;
3° against a natural or legitimate ascendant or the adoptive father or mother;
4° against a judge or prosecutor, a juror, an advocate, a legal professional officer or a public officer, a member of
the gendarmerie, a civil servant of the national police, customs, the penitentiary administration or against any other
person holding public authority or discharging a public service mission, a fireman (whether professional or volunteer),
the accredited warden of a building or group of buildings or an agent carrying out on behalf of the tenant the duty of
caring for or watching an inhabited building in pursuance of article L. 127.1 of the Code of Construction and Habitation,
in the exercise or on account of his functions or mission, when the capacity of the victim is known or apparent to the
perpetrator;
4°bis against the spouse, the ascendants and direct descendants of the persons mentioned in 4° or against any
other person who habitually resides in their home, because of the duties carried out by these persons;
4°ter against a person employed by a public transport network or any other person carrying out a public service
mission or against a health professional in the exercise of his duties, where the status of the victim is apparent or known
to the perpetrator;
5° against a witness, victim or civil party, either to prevent him from denouncing the action, filing a complaint or
making a statement before a court, or because of such denunciation, complaint or statement;
5°bis because of the victim's membership or non-membership of a given ethnic group, nation, race or religion;
5°ter because of the sexual orientation of the victim;
6° by the spouse or cohabitee of the victim;
7° by a person holding public authority or discharging a public service mission in the exercise or at the occasion of
the exercise of his functions or mission;
8° by two or more acting as perpetrators or accomplices;
9° with premeditation;
10° with the use or threatened use of a weapon.
The penalty incurred is increased to thirty years' criminal imprisonment where the offence defined under article
222-7 is committed against a minor under the age of fifteen years by a legitimate, natural or adoptive ascendant or by
any other person having authority over the minor.
The first two paragraphs of article 132-23 governing the safety period are applicable to the offences set out under
the present article.