An adult was sentenced to six months suspended prison sentence and three minors were indicted after violence committed against a young mentally handicapped person filmed and broadcast on social networks, the Belfort prosecutor’s office announced on Thursday.
In custody since Wednesday and referred Thursday, the four individuals acknowledged their involvement, the prosecution said in a statement.
A fifth adult, also arrested, was finally exonerated, according to the same source.
The adult referred, whose involvement is “more peripheral” and who “did not strike any blow”, was the subject “of an appearance procedure on prior admission of guilt on the count of aggravated voluntary violence”, in particular by the vulnerability of the victim. She accepted the six-month suspended prison sentence proposed by the prosecution, the statement said.
According to the regional daily Eastern Republican, it is a young woman of 22 years.
The three minors, also implicated for violence against another young adult present at the time of the facts, were presented to the judge of the children, according to the press release.
They were indicted for aggravated voluntary violence and for distributing the recording of the images of the two attacks, in particular.
In accordance with the prosecution’s requisitions, they were placed under judicial supervision pending their appearance in the juvenile court.
They are forbidden to enter into contact with the victims and to appear in the territory of Belfort and will have to “respect the conditions of a placement in a closed educational center”, according to the prosecution.
The violence was committed during the night from Saturday to Sunday in Dorans, near Belfort. The video was quickly broadcast and relayed on social networks, before being deleted from many accounts.
According to Eastern Republican, the images show in particular the main victim being struck in the face, then shaved, facts which had caused a broad indignation.
Ian Boucard, deputy (LR) for the Territoire de Belfort, had launched a report to the authorities “so that the perpetrators can be found quickly”. The president (LR) of the departmental council of the Territory of Belfort, Florian Bouquet, had for his part condemned “acts of rare cruelty”.