French President Emmanuel Macron said schools in France are threatened by the “scourge of anti-Semitism” after a 12-year-old Jewish girl was raped in what police described as a hate crime.
According to French media reports, the girl told police that she and a friend were in a park in Courbevoie, northwest of Paris, on Saturday when three boys – two aged 13 and one aged 12 – Get close to her. She knew at least one of them.
The victim said the boys dragged her to a secluded area where they hurled anti-Semitic slurs at her and raped her.
The boys were arrested on Monday and two of them were charged with gang rape, anti-Semitic insults and violence, and making death threats.
French media also reported that one of the attackers threatened to kill the girl if she called the police.
In response to the attack, people took to the streets on Wednesday to protest against anti-Semitism, holding banners, including one that read: “This could be your sister.”
Macron spoke about the Courbevoie attack during a meeting with government members at a ministerial meeting on Wednesday.
He asked Education Minister Nicole Belloubé to ensure that conversations about racism and Jew-hatred are held in schools in the coming days to prevent “hate speech with serious consequences” from “infiltrating” classrooms.
Ms Beloubet later wrote on
Prime Minister Gabriel Attal called the attack “absolutely despicable, unbearable and indescribable”.
“Unfortunately, since October 7, anti-Semitism has been on the rise again in our country,” he told TF1.
France’s Chief Rabbi Haim Colcia said he was “shocked”.
“Justice must resolutely punish the perpetrators of this despicable act. No one can forgive this unprecedented wave of anti-Semitism,” Coscia wrote on
A January 2024 report by the Council of Jewish Institutions in France (CRIF) said anti-Semitic acts in France increased by 284% between 2022 and 2023.
The report also stated that nearly 13% of such behaviors occurred in schools last year. Reports increased significantly after Hamas attacks on Israeli communities on 7 October.
Two weeks ago, French President Macron announced the holding of early congressional elections. France is in the midst of a fierce campaign, and politicians from all parties quickly intervened.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the far-left French Indomitable Party (LFI), condemned “anti-Semitic racism”.
Marine Le Pen, president of the far-right National Rally (RN), urged voters to bear in mind “the far-left’s stigmatization of Jews” when they go to the polls later this month.
Her protégé Jordan Bardella said that if elected he would “fight the anti-Semitism that has plagued France since October 7”.
