The trial of the former legislative candidate for “Reconquest!”, Florence Medina, took place this Thursday, November 14. She is on trial for inciting hatred. The prosecutor requested six months in prison, a heavy fine and three years of ineligibility.
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Florence Medina, 52, was in court this Thursday. The prosecutor requested a six-month suspended prison sentence, a fine of 15,000 euros and three years of ineligibility against him.
She spoke shortly after the death of Thomas – who was stabbed during a ball in Crépol, in Drôme – on the social network Facebook. She had spoken of “neighborhood scum” and mentioned “ratonned”. These words shocked several associations, including SOS Racisme, which filed a complaint against Florence Medina for inciting hatred.
READ ALSO: Death of Thomas in Crépol: she had proposed a return to “ratonnades”, the former Reconquest candidate Florence Medina judged for racist remarks
At the hearing, Florence Medina tried to defend her remarks. She explained that she did not see any racist connotation in the word “ratonned”which she rather associates with a “brawl” or to a “vengeance”. The president of the court reminded him of the historical meaning of the term, used during the Algerian war to designate violence against North Africans.
The prosecutor, Alain Octuvon-Bazile, judged his remarks “hateful”. According to him, the outrage is understandable after the death of a 16-year-old boy, but “justice does not discriminate”. The prosecutor insisted that Ms. Medina's terms referred to collective violence directed against certain communities.
READ ALSO: Death of Thomas in Crépol: “ratonnades” suggested by a former candidate of the Reconquête party, SOS racism files a complaint
For his part, Florence Medina's lawyer pleaded for acquittal. For him, these requisitions are “staggering”. He said his client was never racist and that she only wanted to criticize the government's lack of action on security. The judgment will be delivered on November 21.
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