Severe injuries, including amputations, sustained by students during high school protests in France are fueling mounting criticism of the police's violent response, the Guardian reported on the 16th local time.

Speaking before the Senate Law Committee on the 13th regarding allegations of excessive police force, French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez stated that a total of 36 cases had been filed with internal oversight bodies.

Among them, four cases involve allegations of severe physical mutilation to victims, while six others allegedly sustained serious injuries.

Other reported incidents include allegations of assault, insult, and sexual harassment by police officers.

Evan, a 15-year-old vocational high school student studying carpentry, lost his left hand when a stun grenade thrown by police exploded outside a school protest site in the northern city of Lens on the 5th.

He also lost several fingers on his right hand and sustained injuries to other parts of his body.

His lawyer, Bertrand Watelet, stated that the injuries were "comparable to those seen on a battlefield" and that Evan was hospitalized in "very serious condition," with his family filing a legal complaint against the police.

Following the incident, the government instructed police not to use crowd-dispersion and suppression grenades, such as stun grenades, during student protests.

Eldan, a 14-year-old near a protest site on the outskirts of Paris, suffered severe facial injuries, believed to have been caused by a tear gas canister fired from a police launcher.

He suffered fractures to his jaw in two places, lost some of his lower teeth, and broke all of his upper teeth.

Eldan's lawyer, Elsa Marcel, criticized the action, noting that the tear gas canister was fired from a close range of 1.5 meters, stating, "It is no different from a weapon of war."

Eldan's family has also filed a criminal complaint against police officers for attempted murder.

Eldan's parents claim he encountered a school blockade and was trying to return home when the incident occurred.

In video footage of the time, Eldan is seen confronting three police officers, one of whom strikes him with a baton.

Shortly after Eldan makes a kicking motion toward the police, the tear gas launcher is fired.

The officer in question has been suspended and is currently under official investigation.

In the western city of Tours, Mael, a 16-year-old vocational high school student, lost vision in one eye after being struck by a projectile fired from a rubber bullet launcher.

The police officer facing Mael has been indicted for causing serious injury, but is denying the charges.

Defense lawyers and human rights organizations have also criticized the police for arresting and detaining an unprecedented number of minors.

Some lawyers claimed that teenagers were subjected to beatings, insults, and even verbal abuse during the process.

According to the Ministry of Justice, a total of 6,773 minors have been arrested since high school protests began in mid-September.

Of these, 2,190 were referred to judicial proceedings, and about 2,000 received alternative measures such as completing civic education courses.

More than 1,000 were not charged.

Nathalie Tehio, a lawyer and president of the French Human Rights League, raised the issue by pointing out that the small number of actual trials implies the police arrests were made without grounds.

She noted, "This is closer to a measure to block protests. I think there is an intention to respond harshly to deter and frighten people."

Romain Boulet, co-president of the French Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, expressed concern that "police may be abusing their authority to suppress student protests."

The French high school protests, which began on the 21st of last month demanding improvements to the educational environment, entered their fourth week this week.

A large-scale rally is scheduled for the 17th by students and citizens protesting poor working conditions, rising oil prices, and high inflation.