According to the indictment, school bullying was not the cause of Lucas’ suicide

His death shook the country. On January 7, the young Lucas, 13 years old, committed suicide in the Vosges. His relatives had reported school bullying of a homophobic nature, having been able to push him to act. But after studying the file, the prosecution no longer considers school bullying as a cause of suicide.

“A doubt about the causality” of the suicide of Lucas, 13, a victim of homophobic harassment

At the hearing, which was held behind closed doors on Monday 3 April in Epinal, the juvenile court was seized for acts of school harassment committed between September 2022 and January 2023 and which led to the boy’s suicide. But according to the Épinal prosecutor, he stays “A doubt about causality of bullying as the cause of the boy’s suicide.

Read also: Homophobia at school: good announcements, even better results

” The juvenile court remains invested with all the facts, it will itself assess whether there is actually a causal link between the two the prosecutor added.

4 college students are on trial for Lucas’ death

As a reminder, four university students were tried for the boy’s death. In the Penal Code, the penalties for bullying at school are up to three years’ imprisonment and a €45,000 fine, compared to ten years’ imprisonment and a €150,000 fine when bullying is recognized as the cause of the victim’s suicide. .

For minors, as in the present case, the prison sentence cannot exceed half of the maximum foreseen for an adult, and the maximum penalty is set at 7,500 euros, as recalled by theFrench media agency.

The lawyers of the four teenagers have asked for the charges to be dropped. ” We have all called for release “, he explained toAFP extension Emmanuelle Larrière, lawyer for one of the four university students. ” The infringement is not constituted, there is no need to discuss its possible consequences. Judgment was postponed to 5 June.