Do you remember the murder of Samuel Paty?
Six teenagers were convicted by a French court in connection with the 2020 beheading of history teacher Samuel Paty. The teacher had shown caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad in a class on freedom of expression, causing anger among some Muslim parents. A teenage girl, among those on trial, falsely accused Paty of asking Muslim pupils to leave the room before showing the caricatures. The court found her guilty of making false accusations and slander, as she was not present during the class. Other adolescents were convicted for participating in a pre-meditated criminal conspiracy and helping prepare an ambush.
LENIENT SENTENCES
Paty, 47, was killed by an 18-year-old assailant of Chechen origin outside his school in a Paris suburb. The court also found the teenagers guilty of pointing out Paty to the murderer. While Paty’s sister expressed satisfaction with the conviction, she considered the sentences too lenient. The heaviest sentence, a 6-month prison term, was given with the possibility of serving it at home under electronic surveillance. The girl making false accusations received an 18-month suspended sentence with two years of probation measures. All six teenagers face strict probation measures for two to three years. Another trial involving adults connected to Paty’s killing is scheduled for the end of the next year.
