https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/21/french-government-defends-arrest-of-teen-in-classroom-over-transgender-bullying-claims
The 14-year-old boy was put in handcuffs and marched out of his classroom on Monday
The 14-year-old boy was put in handcuffs and marched out of his classroom on Monday.
The controversy comes days after it emerged that education officials had sent a threatening letter to the parents of a boy who had complained of being bullied by classmates for months, saying their public statements complaining about the bullying were “unacceptable” and urged them to adopt a “constructive” attitude.
The boy, identified as Nicolas, 15, later killed himself on 5 September in a Paris suburb, one day after pupils went back to school after the summer break.
Oh, got it. So they fucked up real bad and are now trying make this about the police response so no one will question why they helped a bully kill his target.
Ragebait title. Bullying is one thing. Death threats is another. That goes way beyond simple bullying. The arrest was fully justified.
But it isn't about the arrest. Of course it was justified in general. It is about arresting him in front of the class for show, when that isn't matching the usual procedures in such a case.
“I thought it was impossible for police to come into a classroom,”
Why would you think that? It's a classroom, not an embassy.
“Common sense would dictate that such arrests not be made in class, even when completely justified,”
Can someone explain that "common sense" to me? Why not? What is so special about a class room?
That's where the person that needed arresting currently was, so that's where you arrest them. What's the big deal?
It should not be imposible to enter a class room and arrest somewhere there in general. But there are actual standards and also issues of common sense usually agreed to in France (and a lot of other countries).
You don't run into a class in session to arrest someone there, if you can just get the person called out of class and do it separated from everyone else. Just like you for example don't focefully arrest someone or initiate a chase in crowded areas, if the case isn't justifying the risk to bystanders for the reward of making the arrest now rather than later. That's okay if there is an actual risk right now that justifies making the arrest now and making is fast. It's not okay to do this in a crowd just as a show of force when it could be handled much easier and safer.
That's just common sense of minimizing the potential for any kind of escalation.
So yeah, this has nothing to do with the fact that you should not be allowed to arrest someone in his classroom. It's about general standards in arresting someone, that were violated purely to make a political point of showing their hard reaction.
If that guy has a weapon and is threatening someone, sure. Go in, and go in hard. If the guy has made some general threats and is right now just sitting in his regular lesson, call him out of class under some pretense and handle it professionally instead of making a show out of arresting him in front of the class. That's unprofessional bullshit made for political reasons.
I don't think they charged in there with their guns pulled. They probably knocked. This isn't America, there is no risk in a couple policemen entering a classroom.
It’s about general standards in arresting someone, that were violated purely to make a political point of showing their hard reaction.
Is arresting someone over literal death threats really a political point?
Unless there is further details about the police actually putting anyone at risk, I see no standard being violated.
Is arresting someone over literal death threats really a political point?
No, but arresting him in front of the class as a show of force when that is not the usual and accepted way this is normally handled, is.
Is it not? I admit I haven't read the handbook on police etiquette in such situations. I just don't see how it was "a show of force" other than it was a statement to other kids, which is a positive thing.
When I was in school, I had police in my classroom at least 4 times. But only in one instance they made "arrests". Basically they knocked, asked if "insert names" were present and asked them to come with them. No handcuffs, sure. But this was only about shoplifting. I never though it was a big deal.
Exactly. You can't act like classrooms should be sacrosanct while simultaneously harassing other students. Makes no sense on its face.
Further, how likely is it that the harassment is only after school hours? If you can talk shit during the school day, you can take the consequences during the school day.
They can go to the boys home. They can have the boy brought back to an office. In the classroom of an adolescent is ridiculous. Was there is a clear and present danger.
Unless you think this kid will make a run for it, then it can take place with less publicity. Did you think he will be leaving country?
Or they could just arrest him where he was at the time. Why wait?
then it can take place with less publicity
Why should it though? Showing that this kind of bullying isn't tolerated and seeing the imidete consequences of it in person is a great lesson for the other kids, too.
Anyone heard of innocent till proven guilty? Secondly you fine with heavy handed tactics? On a child no less?
The kid could also not make death threats... he would have never been arrested in the first place if he decided to behave like a reasonable member of society
Yeah their logic is wild to me.
Do that think if, hypothetically, a murderer was in the classroom that police should wait until class ends to make an arrest?
That quote bugs me because if common sense prevailed, another kid would still be alive. If someone waits until after a suicide to think about common sense, they can sit on a railroad spike and bounce.
I mean, have you ever met a teacher who didn't act like that little box was their personal realm to be god over? I can easily imagine that anything that disabuses them of the idea would come as a shock.
If they did nothing and the asshole killed them?
"Why didn't the school do something to prevent it!!?!!"
Hopfully they called the police.
In genral I am getting pissed off with schools who think crime is there job to resolve. Death threats are a crime. Schools thinking it is there job teaches children the wrong thing about the real world.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
The French government has defended the arrest of a teenage boy in the middle of class over claims of bullying a transgender classmate, a rare move that angered many pupils and parents despite widespread support for a crackdown on harassment.
Government spokesperson Olivier Veran said the arrest had been made “in compliance” with policies against abusive behaviour, and aimed to send “a very strong message” to bullying students.
A police source told the AFP news agency that the decision to arrest the boy was based on “the nature of extremely serious threats that required urgent detention”.
The alleged victim, who attends a different school, was targeted with comments such as “We’re going to cut your throat” and “I detest your type … go die, go kill yourself”.
The controversy comes days after it emerged that education officials had sent a threatening letter to the parents of a boy who had complained of being bullied by classmates for months, saying their public statements complaining about the bullying were “unacceptable” and urged them to adopt a “constructive” attitude.
The boy, identified as Nicolas, 15, later killed himself on 5 September in a Paris suburb, one day after pupils went back to school after the summer break.
The original article contains 413 words, the summary contains 204 words. Saved 51%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!
The boy, identified as Nicolas, 15, later killed himself on 5 September in a Paris suburb, one day after pupils went back to school after the summer break.
Yeah, the bullied kid committed suicide. That seems reason enough to arrest him in class.
If it has been done after school, they'd complain about police interrupting dinner. This was a no win situation. I guess they could have asked the parents to bring the kid in, but I don't see why white glove service is required for an ugly crime like that.
Don't threaten to kill people and you won't be 'shamed' by getting arrested at school.
Hope it helps prevent further bullying and suicides. Sometimes a hard stance needs to be taken.
I fully support the arrest, those are serious threats and they should be met with serious consequences.
It's still weird to me that it was done in a classroom though. I understand the intent of "sending a strong message" but idk if I like it all that much. They could've arrested him at his home and forgo this whole performative stunt.
When I was in high school someone in my class did some highly fucked up shit and got in very serious legal trouble for it (and we never saw him at the school again). After he was expelled/arrested, we just had a very long talk in class about what he did and why it was so serious and wrong, and it was effective, it's one of few things I remember from high school now actually lol. We didn't need to have the police show up to scare us into not doing it, at least I didn't, idk how effective it was on everyone else.
Not sure how I feel about that.
You shouldn't arrest children in a classroom with other children.
Who knows who could get hurt in such an altercation?
For once Police is doing its job. I hope they get a little rough with the kid, bullies deserve to get smashed to a pulp. Jk they only do it to protesters.
Good that government actually DO something.
2 (or 3) years ago, a teacher was beheaded by students. Death threats against teachers (or other pupils) are quite common in "some" areas (you know, the ones that rioted recently).
But some part of the population (mostly far-left) actually defend such behaviour, so yeah government has to explain itself.
That's one of the reasons why I left France, actually.
2 (or 3) years ago, a teacher was beheaded by students.
That actually never happened.
À teacher was beheaded by a tchetchen lunatic because he supposedly offended Muslim sensibilities according to a vocal student's testimony. Not at all the same thing.
I'm as leftist as they come, and some of us support strong action against bullying, death threats and religious presence in school :)