French President Emmanuel Macron has spoken out against the “scourge of antisemitism” following a horrific incident where a 12-year-old Jewish girl was raped in what police described as a hate crime.
The attack, which occurred in a park in Courbevoie near Paris, involved three boys, two aged 13 and one aged 12, who allegedly hurled antisemitic insults at the victim during the assault.
The perpetrators were arrested and charged with gang rape, antisemitic insults, violence, and issuing death threats.
The severity of the crime has sparked outrage and led to protests against antisemitism in France, with banners at the demonstration reading, “It could have been your sister.”
President Macron addressed the incident during a Council of Ministers meeting, instructing the Minister of Education to initiate discussions in schools about racism and hatred of Jews to prevent such “hateful speech with serious consequences” from entering classrooms.
French officials and religious leaders have strongly condemned the attack. Prime Minister Gabriel Attal described it as “absolutely despicable, unbearable, and unspeakable,” while Chief Rabbi of France Haim Korsia called for firm punishment for the perpetrators and emphasized the need to combat antisemitism.
A recent report by the Council of Jewish Institutions in France revealed a significant increase in antisemitic acts, with nearly 13% occurring in schools.
This surge has been linked to events such as the October 7 Hamas attacks against Israeli communities.
The incident comes amid a heated election campaign in France, with politicians from various parties condemning antisemitism and pledging to address the issue if elected.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon of the far-left France Unbowed party denounced “antisemitic racism,” while Marine Le Pen of the far-right National Rally highlighted the “stigmatisation of Jews by the far left” as an election issue.
Source-BBC
