First Verdict for Beheaded Teacher Case Handed Down in France
A French court has closed a gruesome chapter in the horrifying tale of the 2020 murder of history teacher Samuel Paty that shocked the nation. The judicial decision finds six teenagers guilty in connection with the beheading of Samuel Paty. The 47-year-old teacher was killed near his school in the suburbs of Paris by an 18-year-old attacker of Chechen origin, Abdullah Anzorov, who was shot dead by the police shortly after the assault.
As previously reported, the teacher showed cartoons of Prophet Muhammad to his students during a lesson on freedom of speech. About it allegedly disclosed to her parents by a teenage girl. This girl was 13 at the time of the events. She claimed that Paty had asked Muslim students to leave the room before showing the cartoons, angering some Muslim parents who consider depictions of prophets blasphemous.
During a class discussion on freedom of speech, the teacher displayed cartoons previously published by the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo. The publication of these cartoons led to a deadly terrorist attack on the Charlie Hebdo editorial office in 2015.
The court found the teenage girl guilty of false accusations and defamatory comments, as it was established that she was not present in the class at that time. She received a suspended sentence of 18 months and a probationary measure for two years.
The other defendants, aged 14 to 15 at the time, were found guilty of participating in a deliberate criminal conspiracy and assisting in the preparation of an ambush. The court found them guilty of pointing out the victim to the killer. All six teenagers received suspended sentences with a strict probationary period ranging from two to three years. The harshest punishment was given to a teenager formally sentenced to six months in prison but is serving it at home under electronic surveillance.
Louis Bijaoui, the lawyer for Paty's sister, Mikael, told journalists that his client is "satisfied with the full condemnation" but not too pleased with what she considers "too lenient" sentences.
Another trial in the Paty murder case, involving adults, is expected to take place later.
The trial of the students took place behind closed doors, in accordance with French laws regarding minors. Consequently, the media does not have the right to disclose the identities of the defendants. During court visits, the faces of the defendants were concealed.
It's important to note that the trial began just weeks after French language teacher Dominik Bernard received fatal stab wounds, and three others sustained non-fatal injuries in an attack on a school in northern France in October. The attack was carried out by a former student suspected of Islamic radicalization. This year's October incident occurred amid global tension over the Israel-Hamas conflict, prompting the French authorities to deploy an additional 7,000 military personnel across the country to enhance security.