After two weeks of a trial held behind closed doors, the Paris children’s court rendered its decision on Friday December 8, 2023, as reported byAFP. The six former college students implicated in the assassination of Samuel Paty, killed by a jihadist in 2020, were sentenced to suspended prison sentences, with the exception of one of them. The latter was sentenced to 24 months of imprisonment, including six prison terms. This is the teenager who acted as a lookout during the sad operation that caused the professor’s death. However, his sentence should be flexible, which would have the effect of making him skip this episode of incarceration. As a reminder, five college students were tried for “criminal association with a view to preparing aggravated violence”. They were accused of having, for a fee, formed a surveillance group stationed around the school, and indicated Samuel Paty to the attacker.
Eight more adults awaiting trial
The last of the group of defendants appeared on her side for “slanderous denunciation”, and finally received an 18-month suspended prison sentence. As a reminder, the defendants were all minors, aged 13 to 15 at the time of the facts. Note that this trial was the very first in the case of the assassination of Samuel Paty. Indeed, that of eight adults also involved in this tragedy remains to come. However, we will have to wait another year. The defendants will be tried in Paris, by an assize court specially composed in the context of this case, for acts of “complicity in terrorist assassination” and “criminal terrorist association”. Furthermore, the family of the late history and geography professor also filed a complaint against the Ministry of National Education, as well as the Ministry of the Interior, for negligence. She accuses these institutions of not having taken into consideration the risks incurred by the teacher. This investigation has so far been entrusted to a judge. To be continued…