the teenager sentenced to 16 months in prison – Liberation

The teenager filmed on March 22, attacking in the street The Rabbi of Orleans, Arié Engelberg, was sentenced to 16 months in prison this Wednesday, April 23. The young man, who says he is 16 and being of Moroccan nationality was tried before the children’s court For « Voluntary violence due to belonging or the non-belonging, real or supposed, from the victim to a religion » as well as for psychological violence on the son of the rabbi, present at the time of the assault.

To a conviction of 12 months in prison for the violence committed against the rabbi and for two other procedures, are added 4 other months, in particular for having refused to submit to the biological samples during its police custody, specified the prosecutor of the Republic of Orleans, Emmanuelle Bochenek-Puren. The young man is also forbidden to appear in the Loiret for five years and has a ban on contacting the victim for three years.

Before the hearing, the Rabbi Arié Engelberg declared that it was necessary « A highlight for everyone, to show that we need firmly justice answers ». In particular accompanied by the president of the Israelite community of Orleans André Druon, he considered that each anti -Semitic attack must be considered as « symbolic » : « In a democracy like France, there is no right to be attacked. It is important to say that we are standing ”underlined the rabbi in front of several journalists.

After the assault, Emmanuel Macron had denounced the « poison » anti -Semitism and promised not to give in « Neither silence nor to inaction ». “The assault of the Rabbi Arié Engelberg in Orleans shocks us all. I send him, as well as his son and all our compatriots of Jewish confession, all my support and that of the nation ”, had written on X the head of state. A silent march had been organized in Orléans, three days after the facts on March 25.

According to figures from the Interior Ministry, 1,570 anti -Semitic acts were identified in 2024down approximately 6 % compared to the previous year. Anti -Semitic facts represent 62 % of anti -religious acts and are made up of 65 % of damage to people. This is not the case for other religions for which the damage to property is in the majority.

The representative council of Jewish institutions in France had deplored a level in January « historical » of these attacks for the second consecutive year, with a « blast » After October 7, 2023, the date of the unprecedented attack in Hamas in Israel.