France: Are booze companies criminals?

Yes, I think this case should go ahead. The liability is clear, they made available a substance that is easily abused to the point of causing damage.

The companies involved should then imediately launch a counter suit against the parents who failed to educate their children to a level of intellect above that of an amoeba.

All in all I think they'd wind up quits.

The companies made it possible, the amoeba parenting made it happen.

And then they can go after the local water companies for making the bathwater that infants drown in from time to time available, without issuing suitable warnings.....

The US gets a lot of flak for having lawsuit-happy litigants (and justifiably so), but Europe isn't squeaky clean either - witness this and the sort of situation in Italian law that saw Colin Chapman unable to go to Italy as he was charged with contributing to the death of a Formula 1 driver when one of his cars broke in a Grand Prix there.

As if we need that sort of stuff to give lawyers a bad name.....