Three police officers have escaped prison despite inflicting severe ‘serious anal injuries’ on a black man during a stop and search arrest.
Théodore Luhaka, a 29-year-old with no criminal record and a promising football career, was on the verge of relocating to Belgium to join a professional club when he was assaulted with a police baton in the Paris suburb of Aulnay-sous-Bois in 2017. This assault left his anus perforated and him incontinent.
His case has evolved into one of the most high-profile instances of police abuse in France, sparking two weeks of riots in the capital. Protesters gathered outside the French court during the trial, emphasizing police brutality against black individuals and demanding imprisonment for the three officers.
Marc-Antoine Castelain, Jeremie Dulin, and Tony Hochart, however, managed to avoid prison and were instead convicted of voluntary violence. Castelain, initially charged with rape, received a one-year sentence, while his colleagues, found guilty of beating Luhaka, were sentenced to three months each.
The victim, aged 22 at the time, claims he has been ‘living dead’ since that fatal day. Apart from the perforation, he also suffered a four-inch gash to his large intestine. The judges, however, ruled that Mr. Luhaka’s injury could not be considered a permanent disability.
His lawyer, Antoine Vey, hailed the decision as a ‘victory,’ confirming that ‘Theo was a victim, and nothing justifies that he was beaten.’ Prosecutor Loic Pageot had sought a three-year suspended prison sentence for Castelain, considering Mr Luhaka’s injury a permanent disability. Six months and three months of suspended prison sentences were requested for the other two officers.
Expressing dissatisfaction, protesters outside the court condemned the sentences as insufficient for the severity of harm inflicted on Luhaka. The case stands as a poignant example of the ongoing challenges in holding the police accountable and achieving justice for victims of police violence in France.
© 2024 m10news.com Media
© 2024 m10news.com Media
