convicted of harassment and “revenge porn” on his ex-girlfriend

The 20-year-old young man is perfectly integrated into society. A computer science student in Poitiers, he returns to his parents' home near Niort on weekends and works as a temporary worker during the holidays. Nothing destined him to find himself facing justice, and yet. It was under the regime of immediate appearance that he was tried, Monday January 13, 2025, before the Niort criminal court.

He is accused of having harassed his 17-year-old ex-girlfriend for more than six months between June and January. “We are talking here about more than 3,000 calls in June and September alone, but also numerous messages sent via fake accounts on social networks,” reminds him the president of the court, Igor Souchu. But the pressure wasn't just digital. “You even follow her down the street to her bus stop,” adds the judge.

“He suffers from love sickness”

He is also accused of having distributed photos and videos of a sexual nature of the victim to his contacts on the Instagram network, after having blackmailed her into contacting him again. In front of the court, he appears calm. “I know what I did was wrong, it was harassment. But I have fixed ideas, which make me think of her constantly. »

The judge reports a psychiatric assessment of the person concerned, which reveals “an alteration of discernment, and suicidal tendencies”. “I have already made attempts, with medication and also my car,” he confirms. We learned that he had met the victim during a stay in psychiatry, that they had not seen each other for long.

“Despite the alteration of his discernment, he is capable of knowing what consent is”supports the prosecutor, who also emphasizes his lack of criminal record before requesting eight months of suspended prison time against him. “He suffers from love sickness,” tries to qualify the defense lawyer, M^e Jennifer Corvisier. “He didn’t understand why this love affair of barely a month ended, but today he recognizes what he did.”

The lawyer requests significant medical monitoring for him, because “he wants to eradicate his disorders to have healthy relationships”. The court will go in this direction: he is sentenced to six months in prison with reinforced probationary suspension, the obligation to seek treatment and prohibiting him from coming into contact with the victim.