1 of 1 — Photo: Caíque Rodrigues/g1 RR — Photo: Caíque Rodrigues/g1 RR
A 14yearold boy was arrested on Monday (18) at a school on the outskirts of Paris and accused of bullying a young trans girl. The arrest took place in the classroom in front of the rest of the class. The incident, which provoked reactions, coincides with the French government’s announcements of toughening penalties against harassment in schools in the country.
Police entered the classroom of a school in Alfortville, a town east of Paris, to arrest a 14yearold student suspected of harassing a 15yearold girl over social media.
According to sources close to the investigation, the young man was the author of several threats against a teenager studying at another school. He would have sent messages warning that he would “behead” the girl. “I hate your race, you die, you kill deer, transvestites,” he wrote. A day after his arrest, he confessed to being the author of the messages.
The harassment allegations were widely condemned, but the attacker’s arrest in the middle of the classroom also sparked criticism. But in an attempt to set an example for comrades after tougher sanctions against bullying in schools were recently announced in France, the authorities claimed that the detention was within the law.
“Everything was carried out in accordance with the public prosecutor’s office” and the “educational team,” explained government spokesman Olivier Véran. “This is how we will confront this scourge of harassment, this is also how we will protect our children and send these strong messages,” he stressed.
French Education Minister Gabriel Attal said he “understands” that the teenager’s arrest in the middle of the classroom “could raise questions.” However, he explains that “there can be no serenity without authority” and that cases of harassment “a reaction “No one should underestimate a phenomenon that leads to the tragic death of many young people in the country and destroys the lives of thousands more,” he stressed .
Bullying at school, which affects one in ten students in France, has been identified as a priority by the government. This type of harassment has been a crime in France since last year. According to a law from March 2022, perpetrators face a tenyear prison sentence and a fine of 150,000 euros.
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