In the past, French law did not allow punitive damages, which are big extra payments given to punish bad behavior beyond just fixing what was wrong. They only gave compensatory damages, which are meant to make up for what was lost without making the person richer. But things are changing in French law. The idea of giving out punitive damages is becoming more accepted. This means that in some cases, people in France might get big payouts as a punishment for doing really bad things, on top of what's needed to make up for the harm caused. So, now, instead of just getting a small amount to cover their losses, victims might also receive a much bigger sum to penalize the wrongdoer's especially bad actions.