The way I see it is that what happened had nothing at all to do with the licencing system but everything to do with the individual who committed the act. It does not matter how water tight people may think a licensing system is at the end of the day if an individual flips then these things will happen.
I have brought this point to the attention of this forum before but reiterate. I have had shotguns and firearms here in France and never seen or been questioned by the police about the firearms I have nor has my house been inspected for security reasons. To be able to buy a shotgun here requires that you are a member of a shooting organisation and that every year you have a medical examination that proves you are a person who is medically sound to participate in the sport. Now clearly if you have had a criminal record then something is in place to stop you obtaining a firearm but along with that when I go to see the doctor he checks my blood pressure, heart and lungs he does not ask me at all about my state of mind. I only see my doctor once in a year usually because I have good health... in short he does not know me therefore how could he judge my state of mind. In short the medical examination is to prove you are fit enough to partake in the sport not that you are sound of mind. I do not think that France has been immune from shooting incidents but my take on it is that when things like this happen the individual who committed the act is the subject for study not the licencing system. To end my contribution I do not actually have a license for my shotgun at all. I have an annual license to use a shotgun in organised sporting clay shooting events, I cannot use it for any other purpose or anywhere that is not a registered shooting ground, and the prefecture know I am the keeper of a shotgun.
I know my situation is different but it does show how very different two countries can be with regards to firearms but would add that I don't think, although I am not certain, that firearms crime is any different here than it is in the UK.
I have brought this point to the attention of this forum before but reiterate. I have had shotguns and firearms here in France and never seen or been questioned by the police about the firearms I have nor has my house been inspected for security reasons. To be able to buy a shotgun here requires that you are a member of a shooting organisation and that every year you have a medical examination that proves you are a person who is medically sound to participate in the sport. Now clearly if you have had a criminal record then something is in place to stop you obtaining a firearm but along with that when I go to see the doctor he checks my blood pressure, heart and lungs he does not ask me at all about my state of mind. I only see my doctor once in a year usually because I have good health... in short he does not know me therefore how could he judge my state of mind. In short the medical examination is to prove you are fit enough to partake in the sport not that you are sound of mind. I do not think that France has been immune from shooting incidents but my take on it is that when things like this happen the individual who committed the act is the subject for study not the licencing system. To end my contribution I do not actually have a license for my shotgun at all. I have an annual license to use a shotgun in organised sporting clay shooting events, I cannot use it for any other purpose or anywhere that is not a registered shooting ground, and the prefecture know I am the keeper of a shotgun.
I know my situation is different but it does show how very different two countries can be with regards to firearms but would add that I don't think, although I am not certain, that firearms crime is any different here than it is in the UK.
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