A 50-year-old man was sentenced this Wednesday, October 5 in his absence in Paris to an 18-month suspended prison sentence for having harassed CNews journalist Christine Kelly online.
The judgment also imposes a ban on contact for Patrick K. with the journalist for five years, as well as a citizenship course and the payment of 10,000 euros in damages for non-pecuniary damage.
Absent from the September 28 hearing and not represented by a lawyer, this computer engineer of Cameroonian origin presenting himself as a "
writer
" had written, in November 2021, an email followed by several messages on the private line of the CNews journalist by threatening her with the "
media scaffold
".
“
The ax will inevitably fall on your well-made head
,” he threatened.
“Virulent” and “insulting” messages
Earlier, in 2020, he had posted an "
open letter
" on social networks where he vehemently attacked the journalist, calling her in particular "
alienated potiche
", "
white
negress
", "
gourd"
and of
"
pitcher
".
The court went beyond the requisitions of the prosecutor who, speaking of “
virulent, insulting, denigrating and humiliating
” messages, had requested a one-year suspended sentence and a 1000 euro fine.
"
This is a real message for all those who harass online, with the aggravating circumstance of threats
"
,
welcomed this Wednesday one of Christine Kelly's advisers, Me Arash Derambarsh.
“
You cannot drape yourself behind an artistic or humorous form to undermine the integrity of a woman, who is moreover a journalist
”.
Read alsoClaire Koç, a journalist harassed because she loves France too much
“
It is an exemplary sentence and a strong message for all women victims of violence and harassment
,” said Me Besma Maghrebi, also a lawyer for the civil party.
Present for the judgment this Wednesday, the CNews journalist indicated that she wanted to pay the 10,000 euros in damages to her association dedicated to single-parent families “
K d’urgences
”.
The defendant has ten days to appeal.
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