They wanted to reveal “hidden information”, encourage people to vote… or today admit “a big mistake”. Five people were tried Wednesday in Paris for having spread hateful messages and the names and addresses of suspects in the case of the death of young Thomas in Crépol.
They are four men and a woman, aged between 40 and 56, tried before the court in particular for incitement without effect to commit a crime, or public insult on the grounds of origin.
Their messages were posted on Facebook or X in November 2023, a few days after the death of Thomas, a 16-year-old high school student who was fatally stabbed at a dance in Crépol (Drôme) during an altercation between guests and around ten young people from outside the village.
“Real white heads, to be vaccinated directly with a rifle,” wrote Lionel G., a 55-year-old balding truck driver with small glasses, while reposting photos and names of suspects.
“The names of the murderers that the cops tried to hide from you are now known,” wrote Gaël L., 56, republishing a list of addresses of the young people involved.
“Always the same profiles, Swedes from a good family,” joked Jean-Marie L., 40, a tall bald man in a black jacket, head of a small business.
All of them find themselves in court for the first time, and many seem to have difficulty understanding what they are doing there. Their explanations are confused, often in bad faith.
One mentions a typo – “the mobile is not my thing”, the other explains that he uses X as a “personal archive”.
Pascal T., a civil servant at the Ministry of the Armed Forces and “opposition municipal councilor” assures, without convincing the court, that his message “France will soon have a date with its history, let’s be ready” just after a reference to the Algerian War, was in fact a call to vote. Only Marylène P., a 53-year-old insomniac housewife who republished the list of addresses, admits “a big mistake” and apologizes for it.
For the others, the court tries to be educational, recalling that the suspects’ families had received threatening calls and letters at home. Gaël L. does not see the connection: “I republished these addresses, that’s all I did. I didn’t call for any violence.”
The prosecutor, not there “to know who is racist or not, or who spent their holidays in Marrakech” – a reference to a response from a defendant who had spoken of his honeymoon in Tunisia, considers that all the remarks constitute “objectively” offences. He is requesting sentences ranging from four months in prison to two months suspended, as well as citizenship training courses at their own expense for these “speech offenders”, at the other “end of the chain” of the investigation – still ongoing – concerning Thomas’ death.
The court will deliver its decision on October 31.
Five other people are due to be tried on similar charges on September 18.
mdh/mat/rhl
