There will be a trial, and four college students will be the dock. After the suicide of 13-year-old Lucas, four of his classmates from Louis Armand college in Golbey (Vosges), who management had asked to stay home for a week, will be tried for harassment.
“During their hearings, the respondents, two 13-year-old girls and two boys, educated in the same establishment as Lucas, only admitted to having repeatedly made fun of their comrade”, announced the public prosecutor of Épinal Frédéric Nahon.
“The facts took place from September 2022 to the beginning of January 2023”, continued the prosecutor. “At the end of their police custody, the four minors were summoned to the children’s court of Épinal to be tried for bullying at school which led to the suicide of the victim, the investigation having established that the harassment could have participate in the passage to the suicidal act of the young Lucas”.
The college claims to have acted
The schoolboy hanged himself at home on January 7 and his parents claim that he was the victim of repeated bullying by some classmates, because of his homosexuality. An investigation was opened on January 12 by the Epinal prosecution to try to establish a link between these accusations of harassment and the suicide of the child.
Lucas and his mother would have denounced teasing in connection with the sexual orientation of the boy with the direction of the college in September. The mother was then received several times by the management. “National Education had received the minors”, according to Frédéric Nahon. According to the college, the situation has been better since then.
“Presumed innocent, unknown to justice, the four minors will be assessed by the judicial protection of youth before their judgment”, also wanted to underline Frédéric Nahon.
He also announced the opening of an “incidental investigation against X for non-denunciation of ill-treatment of minors”. “Investigations are therefore continuing on this point,” he concluded.
The drama deeply shocked and served as an electric shock, several personalities – including the first lady Brigitte Macron – having called for more measures to be put in place to fight against school bullying.