Enacted parts

ARTICLE 132-73
Breaking in consists of forcing, damaging or destroying any closing device or any kind of enclosure. The use of false
keys, unlawfully obtained keys or of any instrument which may be fraudulently employed to operate a closing device
without forcing or damaging it is assimilated to breaking in.
ARTICLE 132-74
Climbing in is the act of entering any given premises, either by climbing over an enclosure, or by passing through
any aperture not designed to be used as an entrance.
ARTICLE 132-75
(Act no. 1996-647 of 22 July 1996 Article 19 Official Journal of 23 July 1996) 
A weapon is any article designed to kill or wound.
Any other article liable to be dangerous to persons is assimilated to a weapon from when it is used to kill, wound or
threaten, or intended by its bearer to be used to kill, wound or threaten.
Updated 12/10/2005 - Page 24/132

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PENAL CODE
Any article which looks sufficiently like a weapon defined in the first paragraph to cause confusion and is used to
threaten kill or wound, or is intended to threaten kill or wound by the person who bears it, is assimilated to a weapon.
The use of an animal to kill, wound or threaten is assimilated to the use of a weapon. Where the owner of the
animal is convicted or remains unidentified, a court may decide to hand the animal over to a registered public utility
institution for the protection of animals, which will be at liberty to dispose of it.
ARTICLE 132-78
(Act no. 2004-204 of 9 March 2004 article 12 I Official Journal of 10 March 2004)
Where the law so provides, a person who has attempted to commit a felony or a misdemeanour is exempted from
penalty if, having alerted the legal or administrative authorities he has enabled the offence to be prevented and, where
relevant, to identify the other perpetrators or accomplices.
Where the law so provides, the length of the custodial sentence incurred by a person who has committed a felony or
a misdemeanour, is reduced if, by alerting the legal or administrative authorities, the convicted person has enabled the
offence to be ended, damage resulting from the offence to be prevented, or the perpetrators or accomplices to be
identified.
The provisions of the previous paragraph are also applicable where the person has either made it possible to
prevent the commission of a related offence of the same type as the felony or misdemeanour for which he has been
prosecuted, or to end the commission of the offence, or to prevent it causing damage, or to enable its perpetrators or
accomplices to be identified.
No conviction may be returned solely on the basis of statements made by persons who have been the subject of the
provisions of the present article.