Two French Muslim teenagers have received prison sentences of seven and nine years for the gang rape of a 12-year-old Jewish girl in Courbevoie, a suburb of Paris. The attack, which took place in June 2024, was found by the court to be driven by antisemitic motives, reports The Jerusalem Post.
The Nanterre juvenile court issued the ruling on Friday following a three-day trial. Both defendants were 13 years old at the time of the crime. A third participant, aged 12 at the time, was below the age of criminal responsibility and has been ordered to spend five years in an educational facility.
The presiding judge cited the boys’ „troubling personality traits,” the seriousness of the offence, and its impact on society and the victim, noting, „There is no doubt that [the victim] would not have been assaulted or raped if she had not been Jewish.”
The court found the third boy, who had previously been in a relationship with the victim, complicit in the attack. During their relationship, the girl concealed her Jewish identity, fearing reprisals. When the boy discovered the truth, he ended the relationship, left school, converted to Islam, and took part in what the court described as a planned act of revenge.
„His instructions and mere presence enabled the commission of these rapes,” the court stated. „He harboured deep animosity towards Jews, particularly shaped by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”
According to Le Monde, the young victim chose to attend the trial and became visibly emotional during the court’s decision. One of her lawyers, Muriel Ouaknine-Melki, told the newspaper, „The court took seriously the exponential rise of antisemitism.”
The girl later gave an anonymous interview to CNews, explaining her decision to come forward publicly. „It’s important for me to speak out. The fact that I spoke up meant he was quickly arrested and imprisoned. By doing this, I protect myself and protect others,” she said.
She described the lasting effects of the attack, including sleep disturbances, flashbacks, and social withdrawal. „There are things I no longer do, like going out on my own. I’m less sociable now,” she explained. When asked about her former boyfriend, she said, „He was someone I loved and trusted, but he completely betrayed me.”
The victim revealed she had concealed her Jewish identity due to previous experiences of harassment. „I did that to protect myself because I already knew, from past experiences, that admitting I was Jewish might not be safe.”
On the day of the assault, the girl was walking home when she was ambushed by the three boys. Under threats of violence, she was forced to perform sexual acts. One boy reportedly threatened to burn her with a lighter and attempted to force her onto a burning object. Her attackers filmed the assault, and before releasing her, demanded she convert to Islam and swear on Allah to stay silent.
Her mother later told Le Parisien that one of the boys had said, „I know you’re not Muslim… So what religion are you?” before calling her daughter a „dirty Jew.” The family reported that her assailants demanded she not speak to her parents or the police.
The case has shocked France and drawn renewed attention to the intersection of antisemitism and gender-based violence. Community leaders have described it as emblematic of a growing threat to Jewish safety in the country.
Photo credit: Laurence Geai/Flash90
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