15-year-old loses his hand in student protest in France – 24 cases of police violence under investigation
Outrage has erupted across France following injuries sustained by students at the hands of police during student mobilisations. The IGPN is investigating 24 cases.
France: Police violence against students during protests – 15-year-old loses his hand
According to In.gr, outrage has gripped all of France over the extensive use of force by police during mass student mobilisations in Paris and other cities across the country.
Fourteen-year-old Éden suffered a fractured jaw and many broken teeth when struck by a tear-gas canister fired from close range last week. The teenager was sitting on a wall looking at his mobile phone, a few metres away from the protest in Saint-Ouen-l'Aumône, according to his family's lawyer.
A police officer approached Éden and struck him with a baton, prompting the teenager to react with a kick, according to the local prosecutor. A second officer then fired a tear-gas canister using a "Cougar" launcher-type device, hitting him in the face, Reuters reports.
"The officer fired at his mouth and left him lying on the ground without even calling emergency services," said lawyer Élsa Marcelle. The family, which requested that Éden's surname not be disclosed for privacy reasons, has filed a complaint for attempted murder.
A police spokesperson said they do not comment on ongoing investigations. The prosecution stated in a statement that the student had clashed with police officers who attempted to push him back. The officer was placed under formal investigation with the charge of assault by a public official resulting in permanent disability or disfigurement eight days after the incident.
The case is one of 24 being investigated by the IGPN, the internal oversight body of French police, regarding the handling of a wave of student protests that lasted more than two weeks. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu described the mobilisations as the most violent in recent decades.
The police response has reignited calls for the banning of plastic bullets and tear-gas launcher devices – weapons not used by police forces in many other European countries. Amnesty International and UN human rights experts have repeatedly described these means as dangerous and disproportionate.
The events have also bolstered public discontent with the government of President Emmanuel Macron, ahead of 2027 elections.
Source: In.gr