Urban violence in Beauvais: closed prison for two of the defendants

Two men were sentenced Monday, March 8 to eight and six months in prison, another to suspended prison and a fourth acquitted, after the urban violence that occurred from March 1 to 3 in two housing estates in Beauvais.

Read also: Police officers targeted by fireworks mortars in Beauvais

On February 28, three police officers were slightly injured in further clashes.

Traveling Friday to Beauvais on the occasion of the "Beauvau of security", Prime Minister Jean Castex had said that

"nothing will go unpunished"

.

One of the defendants, aged 34, was sentenced to eight months in prison, without a committal warrant, for

"broadcasting the recording of images relating to the commission of a willful attack on the integrity of the person ”

.

He had filmed clashes and posted the images on social networks.

On the videos, we hear him talk about young rioters as

"his soldiers"

or

"his valiant"

.

Already sentenced 21 times, he explained that he wanted to

“inform people”

of his neighborhood.

An 18-year-old was sentenced to six months in prison, without a committal warrant, for

“violence against a person holding public authority”

.

During the night of March 1 to 2, he had fired a mortar in the air, without injuring himself.

To read also: The first tracks of the "Beauvau de la sécurité"

Another 20-year-old was finally given a ten-month suspended sentence, for having filmed and broadcast images, but also for

"threat of death"

.

In his video, widely distributed, he shouted in particular

"Kill them!"

.

"After that we question ourselves, we are ashamed, for us, for our families,"

he regretted in court, assuring that he had consumed nitrous oxide on the night of the facts.

The fourth defendant, also aged 20, has been acquitted him of the facts of

"participation in a group formed for the preparation of violence"

.

The lawyer of two defendants, Me Caroline Zanovello, called not to make these young people

"scapegoats, (...) It is not them who burned cars or attacked police"

, he said. she pointed out.

All were fined 135 euros for not respecting the curfew and came out free.

"The court considers that the disturbance of public order is measured"

, noted the president Tania Moulin.

The prosecution had requested sentences ranging from 36 to 18 months in prison, citing

"scenes of riot and urban guerrilla warfare"

.