French police brutality in spotlight again after officer charged with rape

Police in France are again facing allegations of brutality after an officer was charged with the rape of a young man during a violent arrest in a suburb of Paris.

Four officers arrived at a housing estate in Aulnay-sous-Bois, north of Paris, on Thursday evening, where they began stopping youths and asking to see identity papers. During the operation, a 22-year-old man with no criminal record, identified only by his first name, Theo, was allegedly forced to the ground and beaten.

A police officer has now been charged with anally raping the young man with a police baton. Theo suffered such serious injuries to the rectum that he needed major emergency surgery, and remains in hospital.

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This is a delicate subject....


Over the last 10 years or so, there have been a lot of people - particularly young adults, not quite white and from defavorised suburbs - who have been killed whilst being chased (2 kids ran in to a substation to hide, and were electrocuted), arrested (people being but in stress positions and dieing from different causes) or plain and simply falling out of open windows.

Each time, even with a judiciary review, no-on has ever been held to account.

What's different this time, is that the whole grisly assault - for that's what it is - happened in broad daylight and was filmed by a neighbour.

What's shocking is that, given the curent climat, where we are all 'reporters', the Police persist to believe that they can get away with it.

At a time when the public needs to have faith in the Police, this kind of event risks to tarnish all of them, only because of a few bad 'uns.

It's not what any country needs right now, at this moment.

As an update, 5 days on from the incident : for the last 3 nights there has been trouble in Aulnay sous bois, a suburb just to the north east of Paris, with cars being set alight, home made grenades being lobbed around, 1 journalist injured and 22 arrests made.

All of this despite calls from the victim's friends and familly appealling for calm, and "to not make war", "stay together".

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This morning, François Hollande visited the victim in hospital -he's been signed off on sick leave for 60 days with total incapitation - and promised that justice will be done (1 Police officer has been charged with rape, 3 others for violence)

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There are a few points to bear in mind with this story:

in 2005 France was plunged into full-on riots and street battles, of the likes of which hadn't been seen since May '68
Will the same thing happen again ?

The presidential elections are in May.
How is this going to be recuperated and twisted by whom first ?

Given my thoughts in the first post, and akin to my first point here:, trust in the police is already seriously eroded.
This could mean, that during future peacefull marches, people could use "Remember Théo" as a rally cry to beat up on street cops who tend to drafted in to help out.

Spring, the protesting season is almost upon us...

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Things kicked off last night in Bobigny as a peacefull march against police brutality was tarnished by violence from a 'protesters' few who threw projectiles at police, set vehicules alight and broke shop windows - 100 arrested (unconfirmed)

Little else for now in the press: for background Go here

That is some sick stuff... Looks like some of the police in France are catching the Judge, Jury, Executioner, virus that seems to infect different departments world wide.

My husband and I spent last evening getting into a heated argument over this.

For one, my view is different than yours- police have been held responsible for a lot, even when it isn't their fault.
We have many friends who are police and they have orders not to arrest (stop) arabs (arab speaking) because they can't take a chance on uprisings of burning cars and violence- which happens every time someone is reprimanded.

They are very frustrated. They have to watch two kids without helmets go riding circles around them flipping them the finger and saying "Nique la police", but if a white kids drives by without a helmet, they have to grab him.

They also have been ordered not to follow any who have committed a crime, because of the incident with the kids that hid and got electrocuted, and because it has become common practice for someone to lure the police into the quartier on scooter or in car, and once the police get in, bottles and rocks rain down upon them from the upper floors of the apartment buildings.

I have watched the video of Theo's arrest, and I fully believe the officers in question need to be punished. I do not believe there was a thought out intent to rape (which seems to be the big debate lately). I think they got carried away in a moment of violence and went too far because they have a built up amount of frustration and anger.

You are from France? You know how the police are not at all respected? Their families hesitate to answer questions about what their husbands do!
The most common criticism is that they are a bunch of stupid wimps that do nothing (as the skit by Les Inconnus").

We cannot expect them to live and work correctly with such lack of support from the people. We need to prosecute the officers - we can't just say they have full reign to lose their heads. On the other hand, we also need to address the issue of supporting our police force, and getting rid of the traditional french rejection of authority and love of breaking rules... because that is what is forming the second and third generation of immigrants to act this way.

Laxism breeds racism. One extreme always leeds to another. We need to make some balanced action.

a reply to: Bluesma
Thank you Bluesma for replying !
I refrained from posting the video footage as it's pretty violent (i'm no snowflake, but once was enough)

I have friends living in Satory who, despite what everyone may lmagine (Satory, don't forget !), are hugely troubled by the whole 'thing' and are very concerned about what could happen in the next 12 months

The 'hands off' policy is indeed a real thing and some (in the 'policing business') judge it as an admission of defeat re: everyday delinquance - their time, ressources (ie 'feet on the ground') and energy are all geared up towards Vigipirate...

Whilst president Hollande and Bernard Cazenove were on a visit to Abervilliers this morning,
reports were coming in of more violence in Parisien suburbs, as well as other flash points in Dijon and Angers.

Violence is starting to seep out now into other suburbs in France, with - so far - 245 arrests being made.

I can't see things getting any better this year, only worse, as Hollande (and his cabinet) are hamstrung lame ducks, and as such cannot implement any effective counteractive policices, and even if they could it would still be too little, too late : things have been left to fester for too long.

Academics have accused French politicians of failing to deal with the tinderbox conditions in the banlieues or suburban estates, which they say could spark a national wave of riots in the run-up to the presidential elections in April and May. ......Sebastian Roché, director of research at the CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), and a specialist in the police and the banlieue, told Le Figaro there were many parallels with the 2005 situation.

“The essential line is the same: the supposed malicious intention of the police. The possible elements to spark things off are the same: it’s the same climate, the same basic context, the same areas, with the same populations and, above all, the same antagonism towards the police.”

Roché said nothing had changed since 2005 – “neither the police’s policy, nor the very high level of hostility in the poor suburbs” – and warned that any violence could quickly spread. “It spreads from one poor banlieue to another … The fuel is the anger and hostility towards the police forces.”

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Whoever wins the election, will be left to deal with a toxic environement that they'll have no control over, no remedy and no plan.

A pretty dire situation all in all.

A week later, this story is still bubbling ...

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Today, youngsters of about high-school age, decided to block entry to schools in central Paris !
And to hold a peacefull and demo, denouncing Police brutality
which inevitably degraded into tear gas and .. violence

The protest was called by a group called Mouvement Inter Luttes Indépendant, which posted photos of the demonstrations on its Facebook page. It demanded “justice for all victims of police violence” and denouncing “racist spot checks” by police on school students.

Things aren't moving fast enough, the kidz want action ...

One police officer has been charged with raping Théo L in Aulnay-sous-Bois on 2 February, and three others have been charged with assault.

Four officers arrived at a housing estate in the northern Paris suburb and began stopping youths and asking to see identity papers.

Théo, 22, was allegedly forced to the ground, beaten, and subsequently raped with a police baton, suffering such serious injuries that he needed emergency surgery.

Spring is near,
the gvt is totally dead in the water
the elections are a bit less than 2 months away

Tempers are fraying
In Paris