Marseille: teenager arrested for burning woman's face
A 15-year-old adolescent was referred for a barbaric act after spraying flames at the face of a care worker who was attempting to protect a bus shelter during high school protests.
Barbaric act during high school protest
According to Actu17, a 15-year-old adolescent was referred on Sunday 4 October in Marseille for a barbaric act. He is accused of spraying flames at the face of a 40-year-old care worker on Thursday 1 October, Place du 4-Septembre in the 7th arrondissement, during high school protests near Lycée Colbert.
The victim had intervened as a group of young people attempted to smash a bus shelter with a metal barrier. The adolescent then approached the woman and activated an inflammable spray that he had ignited with a lighter, directing a jet of flames towards her face. The incident was filmed and widely distributed on social media.
Investigation and swift identification
The "offences against persons" group of the central SLPJ (Service de la police judiciaire) was tasked with the investigation. Investigators used urban video surveillance to identify the suspect, who was arrested on Friday evening. During custody, the adolescent immediately admitted the facts and expressed deep regret, according to the prosecutor's office.
The investigation had initially been classified under the charge of deliberate violence with three aggravating circumstances: use of a weapon, commission in a group and concealment of the face. The prosecutor ultimately referred the case to an investigating judge on the charge of a barbaric act, a criminal qualification.
Suspect profile and measures requested
The adolescent was a second-year student at Lycée Colbert in the care work section. He was unknown to police and justice services. The Marseille prosecutor's office is requesting his placement in preventive detention regarding disruption to public order. The decision will be made by the judge of freedoms and detention.
These acts occur within a context of high school mobilisation that began on 17 September in the Paris region and has spread throughout the country. More than 5,000 people have been arrested since the beginning of the week in connection with these protests, according to the Interior Ministry. The authorities stressed that no claim, whether relating to high schools, social issues or agriculture, could justify such acts of violence.
Source: Actu17