French Police Investigate Fatal Stabbing of 14-Year-Old Who Refused to Hand Over Phone to Two Teenagers
A 14-year-old boy was stabbed to death in Paris on Friday evening after he refused to give up his phone to two teenage perpetrators. According to the prosecutor’s office, the incident occurred when the boy was leaving a football training session in southern Paris and the two teenagers demanded his phone. When he refused, one of them stabbed him in the shoulder, and the boy eventually died in hospital.
Two 16- and 17-year-old suspects were arrested after a friend of the victim helped identify them. Both had appeared in court in October, accused of violent theft. Paris police prefect Laurent Nunez reported that one of the suspects had admitted to “the attempted extortion and deadly knife blow”.
Nunez also noted that while there has been a decline in youth delinquency cases, there has been a rise in youth violence that is becoming unbearable. He added that in the Paris region, a third of those accused of violent theft are minors. Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau expressed his shock and sadness at the death of the 14-year-old, describing the perpetrators as “barbarians who wanted to steal his telephone”. He stated that rebuilding a France where parents no longer have to fear seeing their child murdered for nothing will be a long and difficult path ahead.
