Mauritius Curfew: 93 Arrested, Including 15 Minors

Mauritius police have arrested 93 people in connection with the civil unrest that prompted the government to impose a nationwide curfew, according to figures reported by Le Défi Media. Of those detained, 15 are minors — a detail that has drawn particular attention and concern from authorities and civil society alike.

The arrests span a range of alleged offences linked to the disorder that has gripped parts of the island, including looting, vandalism, and violations of the curfew order itself. The curfew was imposed by the Mauritian government after a wave of coordinated unrest broke out across several regions, with incidents reported from Petite-Rivière to Cascavelle and beyond.

The involvement of minors in the unrest adds a significant layer of complexity to the police response and the broader social questions raised by the violence. Under Mauritian law, juveniles are generally handled through a separate legal framework, and their prosecution — or referral to social services — follows different procedures than those applied to adults.

Authorities have not yet disclosed the specific charges faced by the 15 minors, nor the locations where they were apprehended. It is also unclear at this stage how many of the 93 total arrests have resulted in formal charges being filed versus those held for questioning.

The scale of arrests marks a significant escalation in the law enforcement response. Earlier figures had placed the number of detentions in the low teens, suggesting that police operations have intensified considerably in the days since the curfew took effect.

Elite units from the GIPM — the Groupement d'Intervention de la Police Mauricienne, the country's specialist police intervention force — have been deployed in affected areas, including along the western corridor between Petite-Rivière and Cascavelle, to restore order and deter further incidents.

What this means: The arrest of 93 people, including 15 children or teenagers, signals both the seriousness with which the government is treating the unrest and the breadth of participation in it. For families of minors involved, the legal process is likely to involve the Probation and After-Care Service and potentially the family court system, rather than standard criminal proceedings. More broadly, the figures are likely to intensify public debate about the root causes driving young people onto the streets — and what the state's response should look like beyond law enforcement.

Source: Le Défi Media