French police accused in student protests: teenager loses hand after stun grenade explosion
During student protests in France, several teenagers have sustained serious injuries from police weapons. 15-year-old Evan lost his left hand following a stun grenade explosion in Lens.
15-year-old wounded by stun grenade: French police face serious allegations
In France, as student protests enter their fourth week, lawyers and human rights organisations are documenting severe injuries to teenagers allegedly caused by police weapons. According to defenders, the injuries resemble war wounds.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez told the Senate that the police internal affairs service has opened 36 investigations into officers' violence against protesters. In four cases, children allegedly suffered "harmful injuries" from explosive weapons, and in six cases "significant injuries". The remaining investigations cover beatings, insults and alleged sexual assault.
According to "Le Monde", the minister also stated that since the protests began, more than 200 secondary school students have been wounded, nearly 900 police and gendarmes, and 147 education workers. In Parliament, Nuñez denied that police acted excessively, but suspended the use of stun grenades during school demonstrations.
15-year-old Evan – without his left hand
On 5 October, at a vocational secondary school in Lens in northern France, a police stun grenade exploded and 15-year-old Evan, a woodworking apprentice, lost his left hand. He also suffered injuries to several fingers on his right hand.
"His injuries resemble war wounds," said lawyer Bertrand Wattez. According to him, Evan came to lessons and found a protest underway, but did not participate in the violence. Besançon prosecutor Etienne Thieffry, according to "Le Monde", said testimonies align: a grenade was thrown from a distance, fell to the ground, was picked up by a protester and exploded. The defence denies this.
Evan's family filed a complaint as a civil party for wilful violence causing permanent disability. "We want to know why the dreams of a child full of plans are collapsing," said Wattez.
14-year-old Eden injured and attempted murder charges
14-year-old Eden, who was near a school protest in the town of Saint-Ouen-l'Aumône, northwest of Paris, suffered severe facial injuries: a broken jaw in two places, lost lower teeth, and a smashed upper row of teeth. The family's lawyer Elsa Marcel claims a shot from a grenade launcher was fired from approximately 1.5 metres away. "This is equivalent to war weapons," she said.
Video footage shows one officer waving a baton towards the teenager before the shot, and Eden kicking in the direction of police officers. One officer has been removed from duty and an official investigation opened into him. The family filed a complaint for attempted murder.
This week, a police officer in Tours was charged with serious violence: 16-year-old Maëlis allegedly lost sight in one eye following a shot from a rubber bullet gun. The officer denies responsibility.
Record number of detained minors
According to Justice Ministry data, since the protests began in mid-September, 6,773 people under 18 have entered police custody. More than 1,000 of them have not been charged, 2,190 await prosecution, and nearly 2,000 have been given alternative measures – for example, citizenship courses – without trial and without conviction. Children are accused of rioting with violent intent, violence against police and property damage.
French human rights league chair Nathalie Tehio argued that the number of detentions is record-breaking and cases are often empty. "In reality it is more an attempt to deter people from demonstrating," she said.
According to several lawyers, detained teenagers reported beatings, humiliation and insults, some reporting racist comments. The Justice and Interior Ministries did not comment on these allegations.
One 16-year-old from a Paris suburb told "The Guardian" that in late September he was detained 100 metres from a school blockade on the day he had promised to attend lessons. He spent more than 12 hours in custody. "It was psychologically difficult because I felt I had done nothing wrong. I was beaten with a baton and fists," he said, adding that one officer's words seemed like a racist insult to him.
Protests in fourth week
Hundreds of secondary schools across France have been blocked for the fourth week. Students are demanding that missing teachers be replaced and abandoned school buildings be repaired. This is the largest youth protest movement in the country in several decades.
France has faced criticism over explosive police weapons for several years. Particularly heavy criticism came after the 2018–2019 "yellow vests" protests, when reports emerged of people losing eyes and suffering injuries to hands and feet.
The head of France's criminal bar association Romain Boulet expressed concern about possible police abuse of power to deter minors from participating in demonstrations. Representative of the left-wing lawyer group "Collectif d'Action Judiciaire" Romane Bartoli said: "Young people told us they were slapped, kicked or beaten with fists."
A magistrates' union representative Audrey Bailleul acknowledged that it is still difficult to form a clear picture. "Nothing shows there was a systematic wilful intention to breach procedures," she said.
Sources: "The Guardian", "Le Monde".
Source: Google News LT — Crime (lt)