France tries teenager after teacher murder
Just over three years ago, a radicalized 18-year-old murdered French teacher Samuel Paty for talking about a Muhammad cartoon in class. After the attack, it emerged that pupils had supplied the perpetrator with information. Now they have to stand trial.
The beheading of French teacher Samuel Paty by a radicalized 18-year-old a good three years ago shook France to the core. From Monday, six minors will have to stand trial before a juvenile court in connection with this crime. The perpetrator was shot dead by the police. The trial will take place in camera.
The 47-year-old Paty was murdered after he had shown controversial Muhammad cartoons in a lesson on freedom of expression. Paty had given his pupils the option of leaving the room if they did not want to see them. This precaution proved to be his undoing.
A 13-year-old pupil at the time - who had not even attended class that day - told her father about it. He in turn circulated a video in which he claimed that Paty had deliberately sent Muslim pupils out of the class to show the others humiliating depictions of Muhammad. The pupil has now been charged with defamation and faces up to two and a half years in prison if convicted.
Boys described perpetrator's appearance to teacher
The smear campaign in the online services had run its course and reached 18-year-old Abdulach Ansorow. He had come to France from Russia at the age of five, had a residence permit at the time and had been radicalized for several months. He did not know the teacher.
On the last day of school before the fall break, Ansorov ambushed the teacher. He enlisted the help of several boys who described to him what Paty looked like and where he usually went after school. The perpetrator is said to have paid several hundred euros for these services. Five boys, who were 14 or 15 years old at the time, have now been charged with criminal association in preparation of a serious act of violence.
In addition to the six minors, eight adults also have to stand trial in another case. They include two friends of the perpetrator who are said to have accompanied him when he bought the weapons and on the way to the crime scene. According to the public prosecutor's office, they are to be charged with aiding and abetting terrorist murder, as they knew of the perpetrator's jihadist views. They face life imprisonment.
"Crime is the result of many punishable actions"
The father of the accused schoolgirl and another man who had fanned the flames of controversy against Paty in online services are to stand trial for forming a criminal terrorist organization. Among the adult defendants is a woman who converted to Islam and was in contact with the Russian-Chechen perpetrator via X.
The indictment of the anti-terror prosecution comprises 541 pages. "Even if Abdulach Ansorov acted alone, the crime is the result of a series of criminal actions," it says. Paty was "very concerned" before the crime with regard to "the extent and aggressiveness of the polemic".
Almost three years to the day after Paty's murder, another deadly attack by a young jihadist on a teacher shook the country. Mohammed M., also 20 years old and from Russia, who professed jihadism, stabbed the history teacher Dominique Bernard to death in Arras. He was arrested and told by his lawyer that he wanted to make a statement at the trial.
- The international community has expressed concern over the radicalization of France's youth, leading to incidents like the murder of teacher Samuel Paty by Islamist extremists.
- France's legal process against the accused individuals in connection with Paty's murder highlights the seriousness with which France views these crimes, as demonstrated by the charges of criminal association, defamation, aiding and abetting terrorist murder, and forming a criminal terrorist organization.
- France's ongoing struggle against Islamist extremism and the related violent acts, such as the murder of Samuel Paty and the stabbing of Dominique Bernard, has led to an increased focus on prevention and rehabilitation processes.
Source: www.ntv.de
