Freedom of expression, harassment ... Five questions to understand the Mila case

By posting a video on Instagram, the young Mila did not suspect that she would soon find herself at the heart of a case with political and judicial dimensions.

From government to representatives of religious institutions to simple Internet users, many voices have emerged, condemning or supporting the young girl threatened with death for having made insulting remarks about Islam.

While the first investigation opened against the girl for "provoking hatred against a group of people, because of their membership of a race or a determined religion", was closed on Thursday , without follow-up, the affair continues to agitate the political sphere. Back in five questions on the case.

How is the controversy born?

Like many teenage girls her age, 16-year-old Mila got into the habit of sharing her opinions and moods on Instagram. She posts videos of her, responds to her subscribers, talks about her homosexuality. The high school student, originally from the Lyon region, published a new video on January 18 in which she spoke live with her subscribers.

The subject of the discussion relates in particular to the young woman's love preferences. "Not really the rebeus," says a girl in comment. "Same for me, not my style," replied Mila. One of his subscribers would then have complimented him. Advances which she immediately refuses. Questioned by Liberation, she explains that the boy "began to get excited: to call us dirty lesbians, racists. Then the subject started to slide on religion, so I said what I thought about it ”.

The tone rises and the schoolgirl finally says "reject all religions". Then, in a second video, quickly relayed, she attacks Islam: “I hate religion, […] the Koran there is only hatred in there, Islam is shit. […] I said what I thought about it, you are not going to make me regret it. There are still people who will get excited, I clearly don't give a damn, I say what I want, what I think. Your religion is shit, your God, I put a finger in her asshole, thank you, goodbye. ".

Shortly after, the schoolgirl, targeted as a lesbian, crumbles under insults and death threats. "I received 200 messages of pure hatred per minute," she explains to Bellica, a site close to the far right. False accounts are created in his name and personal information concerning him (home address, name of his school) are posted online.

What consequences for Mila?

The rectorate of Grenoble indicated that "the girl is safe" and that "physical and psychological care has been done". But since the surge of insults, the girl would live cloistered at home.

Newsletter - The essentials of the news

I'm registering

Your email address is collected by Le Parisien to allow you to receive our news and commercial offers. Find out more

Asked about BFMTV on Wednesday, his lawyer, Richard Malka, assured that Mila's family "cannot find an establishment in which his safety would be guaranteed" and adds that "numerous threats have come from high school students" .

Embarrassed, the rectorate of Grenoble told Le Monde that the "strategy for the girl to resume normal schooling is not yet decided".

What reactions from the authorities?

Questioned on Sud Radio on Thursday, the general delegate of the French Council for Muslim Worship (CFCM), Abdallah Zekri, reacted in particular to a "who sows the wind reap the storm" and a "she looked for it, she knows what she said, she takes on ”. "The insults she held, I cannot accept," he insisted. Comments deemed "criminal" and "unworthy of an official, who is an opinion leader," reacted the Secretary of State for Gender Equality, Marlène Schiappa.

Wanting to ease tensions, the new president of the CFCM, Mohammed Moussaoui stressed, on Tuesday, in a press release that the expression "she looked for it", used by Abdallah Zekri, "was not appropriate".

But the case took a new turn on Wednesday, with the intervention of the Minister of Justice, Nicole Belloubet. Asked about Europe 1, the Keeper of the Seals first assured that "insulting religion is obviously an attack on freedom of conscience". A declaration that has rekindled the political class.

“Can we count on the government of Emmanuel Macron to defend our values ​​and our freedoms? Clearly, the answer is NO! Rebelled Marine Le Pen on Twitter. Likewise, Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, president of Debout la France condemned a minister "who derailed" and "invented a crime of blasphemy which threatened freedom of expression". The minister defended herself a few hours later, believing that "her expression may have been awkward or lapidary".

What responses from justice?

Two investigations were opened following the Mila affair. The first targeting the high school student for “provoking hatred towards a group of people, because of their membership of a race or a determined religion”, was classified without continuation Thursday, by the parquet floor of Vienna.

The prosecution explained that there was no question of judging any blasphemy, which falls within the framework of "freedom of expression for everyone" but to verify the absence of "will to urge hatred or violence against individuals because of their origin or their membership of this community ”. Either the Muslim believers.

However, the prosecution continued its second investigation opened for "death threats, threat of committing a crime and harassment". These suspects, authors of homophobic, sexist and racist insults, number in the thousands. None would be students of the Mila high school, according to the prosecution.

Silence "on the left"?

The editor of L'Obs, Dominique Nora, denounced in a long editorial the absence of reactions, "with rare exceptions", of "voices from the left". Charlie Hebdo also condemned in a series of caricatures, "the indifference of those expected", namely in particular "the left, the identities, anti-racist and LGBT associations".

Furthermore, as noted on Thursday Stop Images, some media experienced in matters related to discrimination or harassment, such as Mediapart, Les Inrocks or Télérama, had not yet mentioned the “Mila affair”.

More than a week after the controversy started, the reactions on the left of the political spectrum were finally heard. The leader of PS deputies Valérie Rabault conceded a relative silence on Thursday, which "is not a good thing", defending "freedom of expression".

"There is no discomfort," argued PCF spokesman Ian Brossat on CNews, for whom "there is a reality: it is that in France we have the right to criticize religions , there is no blasphemy offense ”.