Two adolescent boys in a Paris suburb have been given preliminary charges of raping a 12-year-old girl and committing religion-motivated violence, as reported by French authorities. The incident has sparked widespread shock and concern, particularly amidst a recent increase in antisemitic acts in France following the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The girl reported the rape in the town of Courbevoie on Saturday, leading to the detention of three boys aged 12 and 13, according to the regional prosecutor's office. Two of the boys were charged on Tuesday with offenses including aggravated gang rape on a minor under 15, violence, public insult motivated by religion, death threats, attempted extortion, and unlawfully recording or broadcasting sexual images.
The prosecutor's office refrained from disclosing the girl's religion or identity, in line with victim protection policies for hate crimes in France. However, Jewish leader Elie Korchia later revealed in an interview that the victim is Jewish and that Palestine was mentioned during the assault. French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal condemned the incident as an antisemitic attack.
The two accused boys are currently in custody pending further investigation, while the third boy has been named as an assisted witness and placed in a special education program. The prosecutor's office noted that all three boys expressed regret towards the victim without directly acknowledging their involvement.
Political leaders from various parties have denounced the attack, with Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin describing it as 'awful' and highlighting societal challenges in preventing such violence. The incident comes amid a heightened focus on security and immigration in the lead-up to France's upcoming parliamentary elections.
In response to the incident, hundreds of people gathered outside Paris City Hall to protest antisemitism, with many demonstrators holding placards bearing messages of solidarity and condemnation against such acts of violence.
