Two miners sentenced to up to nine years in prison for anti-Semitic attacks

Two miners sentenced to up to nine years in prison for anti-Semitic attacks

On June 13, 2025 the Tribunal for Children in Nanterre Two 14-year-old boys were sentenced to nine and seven years in prison. The background? They were convicted of the joint rape of a 12-year-old Jewish girl in Courbevoie in 2024. This shocking act, which was characterized not only by violence but also by anti-Semitic insults, caused a great stir in society.

The trial took place behind closed doors because the cases involved minors. In addition to the violent accusations such as rape in a community, sexual assault and threats, there were also the perpetrators' anti-Semitic motives. The court chairman said that the seriousness of the crimes was also justified by the character traits of the accused and the anti-Semitic nature of the crime.

Anti-Semitic motives and violence

As far as the details of the crime are concerned, the young woman was lured into an empty building by a former boyfriend who was not yet of criminal responsibility at the time. There they were joined by the other two boys and they repeatedly raped the 12-year-old while insulting her with derogatory comments and anti-Semitic insults. According to the lawyer for the family of those affected, the issue of Palestine played a central role during the brutality of the perpetrators, which further increased the violence.

What is impressive is that the 12-year-old hid her Jewish identity before the attacks. She posed as a Muslim to escape personal attacks and the prevailing anti-Semitism. This shows the deep-rooted fear that many in the Jewish community in France have to live with.

A look at anti-Semitism in France

In France, home to the largest Jewish population in Europe, anti-Semitism is a controversial issue. An estimated 77% of the Jewish population believe that anti-Semitism has grown significantly in the last five years. This is a worrying trend, especially since 60% also believe they could be attacked in the coming year because of their Jewish identity. A look at the statistics shows that the number of anti-Semitic incidents increased by a remarkable 74% in 2018, making the scale of the problem very clear. The German Wave reports on these worrying developments and sheds light on the complex issue of anti-Semitism in the French political landscape.

This terrible act and the sentences that followed are a clear reminder to society as a whole that anti-Semitic prejudice and violence must be taken seriously. The discussion about anti-Semitism and the resulting acts is urgently needed in order to take preventive measures that can counteract further escalation. It remains to be hoped that such terrible events will no longer occur and that all institutions involved, as well as society as a whole, will wake up and fight together against this type of discrimination.