France: Teenager referred to judge over violent attack during Marseille student protests

Yesterday 12:20

A 15-year-old student has been brought before an investigating judge in Marseille after allegedly attacking a passerby with a burning aerosol spray during demonstrations involving high school students, according to the Marseille prosecutor’s office.

The incident occurred on Thursday morning near Colbert High School, where tensions surrounding the student demonstrations had spilled into the surrounding streets. The prosecutor’s office said the teenager is suspected of approaching a 40-year-old woman who had intervened as a group of young people attempted to damage a bus shelter.

According to investigators, the teenager, whose face was concealed, allegedly directed an aerosol spray toward the woman’s face while igniting it with a lighter.

Victim suffered facial burns

The woman, who works as a home-care assistant, sustained burns to her face and later spoke publicly about the incident. In comments broadcast by BFMTV, she said she had tried to prevent a group of girls from damaging the bus shelter, urging them instead to join the demonstrations peacefully.

She said she had not anticipated such a violent response, particularly because the teenager was someone she did not know and whom she believed she had been speaking to normally moments earlier.

The attack was captured on video and subsequently circulated on social media, bringing renewed attention to incidents occurring around the student demonstrations in Marseille.

Suspect admits involvement

The teenager was arrested on Friday evening and placed in police custody. Prosecutors said he quickly acknowledged his involvement and expressed deep regret after understanding the consequences of his actions.

The suspect is a student at Colbert High School, where he is enrolled in a vocational second-year programme focused on personal assistance. Authorities said he had no previous record with the police or justice system.

On Sunday, prosecutors referred him to an investigating judge for possible indictment on a charge classified as an act of barbarity. The prosecution has also requested that he be placed in pre-trial detention.

The case now moves into the judicial phase, with investigators expected to establish the precise circumstances surrounding the attack and assess the teenager's individual responsibility.

A violent episode amid student demonstrations

The incident highlights the tension that can emerge around demonstrations involving young people when protest activity is accompanied by property damage or confrontations with bystanders.

For the victim, however, the episode has left a more personal mark. She said the deliberate nature of the attack was particularly difficult to understand, stressing that the spray was directed specifically at her face.

The judicial proceedings will determine the legal consequences for the teenager, while the investigation continues into the events that preceded the assault.