2 French teenagers accused of raping a 12-year-old girl for anti-Semitic reasons – WWLP

PARIS (AP) — Two adolescent boys in a Paris suburb have been provisionally charged with raping a 12-year-old girl and committing religious violence, French authorities said Wednesday. French media reported that the girl was Jewish.

The attack caused widespread shock and concern, particularly after an increase in anti-Semitic acts in France since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas.

The girl reported a rape in the town of Courbevoie on Saturday and three boys aged 12 and 13 were arrested, according to the regional prosecutor’s office.

Several preliminary charges were brought against two of the boys on Tuesday, including aggravated gang rape of a minor under 15, religiously motivated violence and public insult, death threats, attempted extortion and unauthorized recording or broadcasting of sexual images.

In accordance with victim protection guidelines, the public prosecutor’s office did not disclose the girl’s religious affiliation or her identity, as is customary in hate crimes in France. French media reports and the city’s mayor spoke of an anti-Semitic attack and identified the girl as Jewish.

The two boys will be held in custody pending the outcome of the investigation, prosecutors said. The third boy was named as a witness to the alleged rape and is participating in a special education program.

Political leaders from all camps condemned the attack. France is in the midst of a blitz campaign for early parliamentary elections on June 30 and July 7, and the leading far-right Rassemblement National has sought to make security and immigration central campaign issues.

Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin described the attack as “horrific” and said the police had only limited ability to prevent such violence. “It is a problem of parents… of authority. It is a problem of society as a whole,” he told BFM television.