Illustration of Place Bellecour in Lyon. - XAVIER VILA / SIPA / SIPA

  • An investigation was opened Monday after the assault, Friday evening, of a teenager in Lyon.
  • The victim wanted to intervene to defend young girls taken to task at a bus stop.
  • A call for witnesses will be launched in order to find the suspects.

The hashtag #JusticePourAugustin quickly flourished on social networks, even before the case was confirmed by the judicial and police authorities. An investigation was opened on Monday after the beating of a 17-year-old teenager on Friday evening at Place Bellecour in Lyon. The boy was beaten down for trying to protect several girls, annoyed at a bus stop by a group of five individuals.

The admirable courage of the young Augustine deserves that the violence of his aggressors be struck heavily. Place Bellecour cannot be abandoned to bands of savages. We must refuse this submission. #JusticePourAugustinhttps: //t.co/eeJu28hpCv

- Laurent Wauquiez (@laurentwauquiez) August 24, 2020

Augustin, cowardly beaten by 5 men because he defended attacked women.

Since the #Marin affair, politicians have done nothing. How many dramas will it take before they act?

Assizes for safety in #Lyon, quickly! #JusticePourAugustin pic.twitter.com/BYAO29xuqe

- Andréa Kotarac (@AndreaKotarac) August 24, 2020

I would have liked to give support to the #JusticePourAugustin tweets but visibly impossible since it is 100% of the far-right who is doing his recovery ... I will do it myself, immense support for this hero, the allegory of courage, hoping that his attackers are badly punished

- migos c not the best rapper (@julienlacr) August 24, 2020

A call for witnesses launched to find the suspects

His family filed a complaint, his brother announced on social media. The complaint was filed on Sunday at the Fontaines-sur-Saône gendarmerie, a spokesperson for the Lyon police confirmed to AFP who recovered the file on Monday.

 The investigation was entrusted to the police station of the 2nd district because of the place of commission of the facts, specifies for its part to 2 0 Minutes the public prosecutor's office of Lyon, indicating also that a call for witnesses would be launched "in the coming hours" to find the suspects.

The victim, who had "several broken teeth" and a fractured jaw, was operated on Monday, adds the Lyon prosecutor's office. His ITT is currently being assessed.

"They smashed it for free without anyone intervening"

The assault took place at around 11 pm on Friday near a mini-market on Place Bellecour located near the “Le Viste” bus stop. A group of five individuals “began to assault girls,” Augustin's brother recounts on Facebook. Seeing this, my 17-year-old brother took their defense by retaining these individuals until they returned to the shelter in the Monoprix. Five against him (…) they smashed him for free without anyone intervening, neither for the girls, nor for him ”.

Police said no call was made to firefighters or the police on Friday evening, from any witnesses or from the victim. According to the LyonMag news site, which revealed the case on Monday, the teenager went to the hospital accompanied by a relative. The police intend to use in particular the video surveillance of Place Bellecour and its surroundings.

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  • Lyon
  • Aggression
  • Violence
  • Police
  • Society