Last Saturday (15th), the shocking incident of a 12-year-old Jewish girl being raped in a suburb of Paris has alarmed French society. President Emmanuel Macron stated that French schools are facing a “threat of anti-Semitism” and called for all schools to conduct relevant educational activities.
According to media reports, the police described this as a hate crime. The incident took place in the northwestern suburb of Courbevoie, Paris. The victim reported that she was verbally abused by three attackers, including being called “dirty Jew,” and subjected to physical assaults such as kicking, slapping, and hair pulling.
The three attackers were two 13-year-olds and one 12-year-old. The victim was raped multiple times by two of the 13-year-olds. One of them even threatened to kill her if she reported the crime.
The teenagers involved were arrested on Monday (17th), and two of them are facing charges of “severe rape, severe sexual assault, attempted extortion, invasion of privacy, death threats, violence, and insults.”
In response to the attack, hundreds of protesters gathered outside Paris City Hall on Wednesday (19th) to demonstrate against anti-Semitic violence and threats.
On Wednesday (19th), Macron addressed the attack during a cabinet meeting, directing Education Minister Nicole Belloubet to organize discussions in all schools on combating anti-Semitism and racism to prevent hate speech from creeping into schools and causing serious consequences.
French Prime Minister Gabriel Atta described the attack as “absolutely despicable, intolerable, and indescribable.” He told TF1 television that he is urging political leaders to take measures to prevent worsening the already serious situation of anti-Semitism in France.
A report from the Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions (CRIF) in January 2024 stated that incidents of anti-Semitic behavior in France increased by 284% from 2022 to 2023. The report also noted that following Hamas’ attacks on Israel on October 7 last year, anti-Semitic acts surged significantly, with nearly 13% of anti-Semitic incidents occurring in schools last year.