French officials announced on Wednesday that two teenage males living in a suburb of Paris have been charged with first-degree rape of a 12-year-old girl and violence motivated by religion. The girl is Jewish, according to a Jewish authority.
The incident shocked and alarmed many people, especially in light of the spike in antisemitic incidents in France since the commencement of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The regional prosecutor’s office said that three boys, ages 12 and 13, were taken into custody after the girl claimed a rape in the town of Courbevoie on Saturday.
Multiple preliminary allegations, including aggravated gang rape of a juvenile under the age of fifteen, violence and public insult motivated by religion, death threats, attempted extortion, and unauthorized recording or broadcasting of sexual pictures, were reportedly brought against two of the guys on Tuesday.
According to victim protection laws, the prosecutor’s office did not disclose the girl’s identity or faith, as is customary in France when it comes to hate crimes.
Later, in an interview with French channel BFM, attorney and Jewish leader Elie Korchia revealed that the girl is Jewish and that during the attack, there was mention of Palestine. The French prime minister, Gabriel Attal, called the girl’s rape “because she’s Jewish” in a post on X, the previous Twitter platform.
The prosecutor’s office stated that the two youngsters are being detained while additional investigation is conducted. After being identified as an aided witness to the purported rape, the third boy was put in a special education program.
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The three lads “expressed regret towards the victim without addressing their involvement,” according to the prosecutor’s office.
Leaders in politics from all parties condemned the incident. The far-right National Rally party, which is leading the race for the snap legislative elections scheduled for July 7 and June 30, has made immigration and security central to its platform.
Gérald Darmanin, the interior minister, called the incident “awful” and stated that police could not stop such acts of violence. “Parents and authority are the problem. He stated on BFM television that “it’s a problem of society as a whole.”
To express their opposition to antisemitism, hundreds of people gathered in front of Paris City Hall on Wednesday night. Many others in the throng held signs with the phrase “raped because she’s Jewish” on them.
