Man Sentenced for Anti-Muslim Vandalism in French Town of Saint-Juéry

The convicted person was identified thanks to witness statements and CCTV images of the pizzeria/kebab shop on which he is seen stopping in front of the establishment to throw stones at the window before continuing on his way as if nothing had happened. Placed in pre-trial detention, the defendant was tried on Tuesday by the Albi criminal court. Throughout the trial, he categorically denied all the accusations, despite the CCTV images on which he is easily identifiable, even by his father, reports La Dépêche.

The 28-year-old man claims not to be racist and to have no problem with the Muslim religion. He had been convicted in 2013 and 2018 for damage and possession of a category D weapon, and declared "criminally irresponsible" in 2019 for damage committed in his workplace due to proven psychiatric disorders. His father confirms that he has psychiatric problems and has already been hospitalized at the Bon Sauveur and in a specialized facility in Le Havre. But he stopped his treatment about two years ago, for no reason.

The prosecution had requested a sentence of 12 months in prison, including 8 months with a probationary suspension for two years and continued detention. In the end, the court sentenced him to 10 months in prison with a probationary suspension for two years, with an obligation to receive care and work and a ban on approaching the victims, to whom he will have to pay compensation of around 4,000 euros. "I won’t pay, I won’t get care, nothing at all, I didn’t do anything," he said when the verdict was announced.