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11 months ago
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Six teenagers have been found guilty for their roles in the beheading of French teacher Samuel Paty, who was killed outside his school by an Islamic extremist.
The history and geography teacher was violently stabbed to death before being decapacitated near his school in a Parisian suburb on October 16 2020.
His attacker, 18-year-old Chechen refugee Abdoullakh Anzorov who had been radicalised, was shot dead by police at the time but now other youngsters have been convicted over their connection with the horrific ordeal.
Today a French juvenile court found five of the defendants, who were 14 and 15 at the time of the attack, guilty of staking out the teacher and identifying him for the attacker.
Another defendant, 13 at the time, was found guilty of lying about the classroom debate in a comment that aggravated online anger against the teacher.
The teenagers - all students at Mr Paty's school - testified that they did not know the teacher would be killed.
History and geography teacher Samuel Paty, 47, was decapitated outside a school near Paris
Pedestrians pass by a poster depicting French teacher Samuel Paty on November 3, 2020, following the decapitation of the teacher on October 16
This file photo taken on October 18, 2020, shows a person holding a placard reading "I am Samuel" as people gather on the Place de la Republique in Paris on October 18, 2020, in homage to history teacher
All were handed brief or suspended prison terms, and required to stay in school or jobs during the duration of their suspended terms with regular medical check-ups.
The youngsters left the courtroom without speaking. Some held their heads down as they listened to their verdicts while one appeared to wipe away tears.
Mr Paty's name was shared on social media following a class debate on freedom of expression during which he showed a prophet caricatures published by the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo.
The cartoon triggered a deadly extremist massacre in the Charlie Hebdo newsroom in 2015, which killed 17 people - including 11 journalists.
Mr Paty, a history and geography teacher, was killed on October 16 2020 near his school in a Paris suburb by attacker Abdoullakh Anzorov as part of a premediated attack.
The five convicted of involvement in a group preparing aggravated violence today after being said to have identified the teacher to his attacker.
The sixth defendant wrongly claimed that Mr Paty had asked Muslim students to raise their hands and leave the classroom before he showed the class the prophet cartoons.
She was not in the classroom that day, and later told investigators she had lied. She was convicted of making false allegations.
Paty is seen in this undated image
FILE: Hundreds of people gather on Republique square during a demonstration Sunday Oct. 18, 2020 in Paris in support of freedom of speech and to pay tribute to a French history teacher who was beheaded near Paris
Flowers and signs reading "I am Samuel Paty' are displayed at a makeshift memorial during a march (marche blanche) in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, northwest of Paris, in tribute to French teacher Samuel Paty
Her father shared the lie in an online video that called for mobilisation against the teacher.
He and a radical Islamic activist who helped disseminate virulent messages against Mr Paty are among eight adults who will face a separate trial for adults suspected of involvement in the killing, expected late next year.
The trial was held behind closed doors, and the media are not allowed to disclose the defendants' identities according to French law regarding minors.
The court outcome came just weeks after another French teacher was fatally stabbed and three other people injured in a school in the north of the country by a former student suspected of Islamic radicalisation.
The killing occurred as global tensions continue to rise over the Israel-Hamas war and led French authorities to deploy 7,000 additional soldiers across the country to bolster security and vigilance.
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