Victim of homophobic school harassment, Lucas committed suicide at the age of 13, on January 7, 2023. His mother, Séverine Vermard, has just published a book, “Lucas, symbol despite himself”, to pay tribute to him. .
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Wednesday January 8, 2025, Séverine Vermard, Lucas’ mother, has just published a book about her son “Lucas a symbol in spite of himself”published by Harper Collins. Two years ago, he committed suicide when he was only 13 years old. “Since my son’s suicide, I have wondered what “grieving” means. writes Séverine Vermard in her book.
Lucas was the victim of school harassment in his college in Golbey in the Vosges, “It’s my fight. I didn’t want to hide anything.” She describes “a radiant little boy”. In her book, Séverine Vermard also wishes to prevent harassment, “I wanted to pay tribute to my son. I wanted everyone to know the child he was. The beautiful person he was”, she told France 3 Lorraine. “I want to fight against this scourge, to fight it. I really needed it and I owe it my whole life.”
Lucas’ mother in Epinal (Vosges) on February 5, 2023.
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© JEAN-CHRISTOPHE VERHAEGEN / AFP
Since then, for Lucas’ mother, a long legal marathon has begun. It’s still not finished. Four teenagers were convicted of harassment without any connection to suicide. Then before the Nancy Court of Appeal they were all acquitted. Today, Lucas’ family and his lawyer, Catherine Faivre, have decided to appeal to the Court of Cassation, “I want him to finally be given justice.”
Lucas had written a note expressing his desire to end his life. His relatives then denounced acts of harassment, “Lucas’ mother needs answers to all her questions”, adds Catherine Faivre. “I expect the Court of Cassation to allow us to have a new trial. It can rely on the basis of the new elements which are now collected, in particular the report of the general inspectorate which concludes a situation of harassment.
His suicide will raise, once again, once too many, the question of school bullying and its sometimes fatal outcome.
Excerpt from the book, “Lucas, symbol in spite of himself”
Last December, an administrative investigation concluded that the teenager was the victim of “harassment”, at school and also online. “My son was really bullied. My son wasn’t crazy. Here he is recognized as a person who was bullied in his school and so it’s finally a relief.” In your opinion, would the college have failed? “They failed in their essential duties, to protect and put measures in place which was not done at all and I will never forgive that.”
Your child was different. What are you hoping for with this book? An individual, collective awareness. Would you like to see mentalities change? “I want everyone to accept others because we have the right to be seen as we are. We are happy. We are not different, just not by the standards of today’s society. We don’t fit into a mold and therefore we don’t have the right to live, we don’t have the right to be happy. No I don’t agree! I really want people to realize that we all have a heart that feels emotions.”insists Séverine Vermard.
What became of the Lucas Affair is, above all, the drama of a young teenager attacked because of his identity.
Excerpt from the book, “Lucas, symbol in spite of himself”
Séverine Vermard, with her lawyer Catherine Faivre, created the LUNAH association to support victims of school bullying. “I decided to make a book to raise awareness of harassment, so that we also remember Lucas, the fight I am leading to do him justice, so that there are no more victims too.”
Comments collected by Laurence Duvoid and Sophie Valsechi Wednesday January 8.
