Moroccan Man Sentenced for Assault on Transgender Woman in Paris Metro

The incident took place on March 31 last, in a metro station overlooking Place de la République in Paris where a demonstration against Bouteflika was taking place. Nouvelobs.com, which reports the facts, talks about "insults and sexually charged chants", and "the relentlessness of the young aggressor against Julia", to whom he managed to "land several blows to the face before being pushed away by another man.

The defendant is none other than a 23-year-old boy, born in Morocco, of a Moroccan mother and an Algerian father, living from construction work, moving or selling cigarettes since his arrival in France 18 months ago.

During his appearance in the Paris Criminal Court on Wednesday for "violence committed because of gender identity", he does not acknowledge having made the statements recorded by the police in the hearing report. He also does not acknowledge having called the victim a "dirty faggot" on the day of the demonstration, as Julia claims. Then, he gets more confused in regrets: "I had taken medication and I was not fully aware," he repeats.

At the end of this trial, at least symbolic against transphobia, the court found the defendant guilty and sentenced him to "ten months in prison, four of which were suspended, with a ban on contacting or approaching the victim’s home". He will also have to pay compensation of 3,500 euros, as well as 1,500 euros to each of the three associations that joined the civil party. For her part, Julia, a saleswoman in a luxury boutique, said she was "relieved" by this court decision.