The arrest of CM2 students for "apology for terrorism" divides

Illustration of a primary school.

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Arrests and an investigation that are debating.

Thursday, four CM2 students, aged 10, were arrested at their home in Albertville (Savoie). These children, three boys and a girl, are accused of having made "violent and disturbing" remarks during the tribute to Samuel Paty Monday.

"They said that the terrorist had done well", indicates the prosecutor of Chambéry, Pierre-Yves Michau, questioned this Saturday morning by AFP.

They "justified the assassination", "arguing that it was forbidden to offend the prophet and adding that they would kill their teacher if he caricatured the prophet", replies the Ministry of the Interior in a video broadcast Friday evening on Twitter.

[#Albertville] Some are wondering about the hearings of 4 children at the police station, following comments potentially conducive to terrorism.

❌No, the @ PoliceNat73 did not use excessive force!

She applied the Code of Criminal Procedure.

🎥 Decryption ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/ctueerhuBl

- Ministry of the Interior (@Interieur_Gouv) November 6, 2020

Apology for terrorism, death threats and "weak signals of radicalization"

The prosecution was seized Tuesday by the academic direction, to which the director of the school concerned had reported the facts;

the same day, the teacher discovered a piece of paper in his letterbox with the inscription: "t'es mort".

The case falling in his eyes to the apology of terrorism and death threats, while sending "weak signals of radicalization", the prosecution opened an investigation.

“Given the age of the students, it was necessary to investigate the family environment.

We could not only summon them, we also had to search the home and we did not know who we were dealing with, ”explains the prosecutor.

“The police did their job, respecting the law.

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Excessive use of force?

"It is wrong to say that the police used disproportionate force", adds the Ministry of the Interior.

Parents interviewed by the regional daily

however, said they were shocked by this intervention, which they consider disproportionate.

“Around 7.15 am, our 13-year-old daughter opened the door to the police.

Some were armed and hooded.

Our son was still sleeping.

They then entered her room, ”one of the mothers testified.

“We were treated as if we were terrorists,” her husband lamented.

“I never imagined that my 10-year-old daughter would be arrested for justifying terrorism.

On Monday, she said to her teacher: + I'm disappointed for the teacher (speaking of Samuel Paty) but it would have been good if he didn't show the cartoons.

She didn't say anything else, ”said the girl's mother.

Towards a "reparation measure for educational purposes"

After their arrest, the children were placed in judicial detention throughout Thursday to be heard by investigators, the parents being the subject of free hearings.

Computer equipment was seized.

"The first checks made it possible to conclude that the families were not radicalized (...) The girl was exonerated but the three boys recognized their words and apologized", added Pierre-Yves Michau.

The word found in the mailbox was not attributed to the children, nor to the parents.

An educational follow-up is planned and the services of the judicial protection of young people should decide on a "reparation measure for educational purposes", according to the magistrate.

The case was strongly denounced on social networks by members of the Turkish community, while the Anadolu news agency echoed it, in an already tense diplomatic context between Paris and Ankara.

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