It is 3 p.m. this Friday, December 25, this young man of 20 is at table with his family in their new house in the suburbs of Belfort. Happy to spend this time with family, he takes a photo of the meal that he posts on his Snapchat account. On the picture, oysters and shrimps, nothing very extraordinary. But he doesn’t expect what will follow.
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“Dirty sons of whites, serpent’s thread, sons of policemen”
One of his acquaintances from school and his football club then sends him an inflammatory message. The individual says he is shocked to see him celebrate Christmas when he is of Muslim faith. But the message does not end there. It is written in substance: “Dirty sons of whites, sons of snakes, sons of policemen”. And, still in the same vein, the author of the message clearly threatens to attack him and his parents, concluding, in the midst of insults: “I’ll show you what a real Arab is.” [verlan du mot beur]. The young man, shocked, does not understand and contacts his interlocutor for an explanation. The latter then gives him an appointment in Belfort.
When he arrives on the scene, he is expected by this acquaintance and four other individuals, who start beating him and leaving him on the ground, not without threatening him with the worst retaliation if he files a complaint or talks about it around him. .
The young man manages to get back behind the wheel of his car and returns home, his face bleeding and his body covered with bruises. The rest is a visit to the Belfort police station with a complaint.
The author of the identified message is arrested and taken into police custody. He would have explained, during his hearing, “to have been shocked to see that [sa victime] posted pictures of oysters and shrimp ”. And to justify his actions by explaining that “it is not Muslim to celebrate Christmas”. Two other men, unknown to the services, are also identified as having participated in the beating.
The mother, OPJ (judicial police officer) at the Mulhouse police station, is scandalized. “He fell into a real trap,” she is offended.
“We make him pay for his origins, but above all for being the son of a couple of police officers. These are sectarian and racist behaviors, it is unacceptable in the XXIe century! We cannot tolerate this kind of thing. Everyone is free to celebrate what they want and as they wish. Most importantly, no one has to pay for having parents who are police officers. This affair must not remain without continuation… ”
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“These facts are extremely serious”
For its part, the Unsa Police union believes that “these facts are extremely serious, especially in the current climate. It is not tolerable to designate a person for popular revenge. You never know how far it can go… It’s pure and simple racism. And the union to provide its “full support” to the victim and his family.
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