Police officers accused of 'baton rape' of Black footballer in France face trial

In France, the trial of three security officers suspected of the 'baton rape' attack, which is cited as a symbol of police brutality and left the young Black victim with permanent disabilities, has begun in Paris.

TRIAL GROUNDS REVEALED

The police violence and rape against a young Black man named Theo Luhaka in the Paris suburb of Aulnay-sous-Bois on February 2, 2017, caused widespread repercussions in the country and led to protests nationwide.

The trial of the three officers, who have continued to work in desk jobs despite the serious charges against them, began today at the Seine-Saint-Denis criminal court in the suburb of Bobigny and is expected to last two weeks.

Two of the officers will be tried on charges of aggravated intentional violence, while the third will be tried on charges of intentional violence resulting in permanent injury.

It was decided that the third officer, who was initially accused of raping Luhaka, would instead be tried for intentional violence.

WIDESPREAD PROTESTS WERE HELD IN THE COUNTRY

Theo, a 22-year-old youth living in the Aulnay-sous-Bois suburb of Paris, was stopped by three police officers during a routine identity check on February 2, 2017.

Protests erupted across France after a recording of the moment of the attack, in which it was stated that Theo was sexually assaulted with a baton by one officer while being held by the other two, was recorded by a bystander and published.

The case became a symbol of police violence in France.

HE WAS FORCED TO QUIT FOOTBALL

Luhaka, who was 22 at the time of the incident and was about to step into professional football with a team in Brussels, was forced to end his sports career.

The French press reported that Luhaka, who moved to another neighborhood and lives with his mother, has been living a reclusive life following the events he experienced.

In a recent interview with Le Parisien, Luhaka expressed his reaction by saying, "I died the day I experienced the attack."

Noting that he and his family only want justice and that they do not want the trial to be seen as 'anti-police' or to create tension in the northern suburbs of Paris where he grew up, Luhaka called for common sense and calm from those who might want to react to the hearings.

Luhaka stated that another officer came to his aid at the police station and called an ambulance, and that he stayed with him until he went into surgery that night.

News Source: AA