The gang rape of a 12-year-old Jewish girl sparked nationwide outrage in France with President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday condemning the “scourge” of anti-Semitism after two 13-year-old boys were charged.
International News
French Boys Charged With Rape Of 12-Year-Old Jewish Girl
Amid recriminations between rival political parties campaigning for a national election later this month, hundreds took part in demonstrations against anti-Semitism in Paris and Lyon.
The girl told police she was approached by three boys aged between 12 and 13 whilst in a park near her home in the northwestern Paris suburb of Courbevoie on Saturday evening, police sources said.
She was dragged into a shed where the suspects beat her and “forced” her to have sex “while uttering death threats and anti-Semitic remarks”, one police source told AFP.
The girl said she had been called a “dirty Jew”, another police source said.
One boy asked her questions about “her Jewish religion” and Israel, the source added, citing the child’s statement to investigators.
The rape was filmed by one boy and another threatened to kill the girl if she told authorities about her ordeal, police sources said.
Minors charged
A friend who was with her in the park identified two of the attackers and three boys were arrested on Monday. Two of them, both aged 13, were charged on Tuesday with gang rape, anti-Semitic insults and violence, and issuing death threats. They have been taken into custody.
The third boy, 12, was charged with anti-Semitic insults and violence and issuing death threats, but not with rape. He was allowed to return home.
The prosecution service said in a statement that the accused boys had “expressed regret towards the victim without discussing their implication in the facts” of the case.
France has the largest Jewish community of any country outside Israel and the United States as well as Europe’s largest Muslim community. There has been a surge in anti-Semitic acts since Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel set off the Gaza war.
“Raped at 12 because she was Jewish”, said one banner at a demonstration in central Paris where Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti was among well-known figures to take part.
Macron told a cabinet meeting of government ministers that the “scourge of anti-Semitism” was threatening French schools, a source close to the president said.
The source said the president called for “dialogue” about racism and hatred of Jews in schools to prevent “hate speech with serious consequences” from “infiltrating” classrooms.
Far-right figurehead Marine Le Pen, whose National Rally party is tipped to make major gains in the election, slammed the “extreme left” for “stigmatising Jewish people” since the Israel-Hamas war started.
Jean-Luc Melenchon, head of the hard left France Unbowed (LFI) party, who has been accused of minimising the importance of anti-Jewish attacks, condemned “anti-Semitic racism”.
The head of France’s Jewish Central Consistory, Elie Korchia, condemned what he called “a sordid and unworthy sexual crime” while the country’s chief rabbi Haim Korsia said he was “horrified” and that “no one should be excused in the face of this unprecedented wave of anti-Semitism”.
Courbevoie’s centre-right mayor Jacques Kossowski condemned “an abject act” and called for the perpetrators to be met with the full force of the law “whatever their age”.
Anti-Semitic acts in France increased threefold in the first months of 2024 compared to the same period a year ago, official figures show.
Of the 1,676 anti-Semitic acts recorded in 2023, 12.7 percent took place in schools.
Manuel Neuer has been called up to Germany’s World Cup squad – two years after his international retirement.
The 40-year-old was named as part of Julian Nagelsmann’s 26-man squad for the tournament this summer, having not featured for his country since Euro 2024.
Among the list include Premier League players Malick Thiaw and Nick Woltemade – both of Newcastle – Arsenal striker Kai Havertz, Liverpool midfielder Florian Wirtz and Brighton’s Pascal Gross.
Injured duo Serge Gnabry and Anton Stach and forwards Karim Adeyemi, Kevin Schade and Niclas Fullkrug are among those to miss out.
Germany’s World Cup squad in full
Goalkeepers: Oliver Baumann (Hoffenheim), Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Alexander Nubel (Stuttgart)
Defenders: Waldemar Anton (Borussia Dortmund), Nathaniel Brown (Eintracht Frankfurt), David Raum (RB Leipzig), Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid), Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund), Jonathan Tah (Bayern Munich), Malick Thiaw (Newcastle)
Midfielders: Pascal Gross (Brighton), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), Felix Nmecha (Borussia Dortmund), Aleksandar Pavlovic (Bayern Munich), Angelo Stiller (Stuttgart), Leon Goretzka (Bayern Munich), Florian Wirtz (Liverpool), Jamie Leweling (Stuttgart)
Forwards: Maximilian Beier (Borussia Dortmund), Kai Havertz (Arsenal), Lennart Karl (Bayern Munich), Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich), Leroy Sane (Galatasaray), Deniz Undav (Stuttgart), Nick Woltemade (Newcastle)
Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has opened up on the club’s decision to appoint Xabi Alonso as their new manager.
The Blues confirmed the Spaniard as their next head coach following the conclusion of the 2025-26 season, with Alonso set to take charge ahead of the upcoming campaign.
Mikel had previously been vocal about Chelsea’s managerial philosophy, urging the club’s ownership to move away from short-term head coaches and interim appointments and instead bring in a proper manager with full control over the squad
Speaking on his most recent podcast, Mikel said:
“I am glad the owners listened to me, and listened to the fans.
“Forget about coaches, what we have always had are managers, and what we need is a manager who decides on the players he wants out and the players who can stay.
“We need a strong personality, and that is what we have got now in Alonso.
“That title has been changed from coach to manager, but I hope it’s not just words and he is actually allowed to manage the squad. But I am very happy with the appointment.”
Chelsea are still in the hunt for Europa League football, and a win over Sunderland on the final day of the Premier League season would go a long way in determining whether Alonso inherits a European stage to build on next season.
Enzo Maresca is believed to have signed a three-year deal to replace outgoing Man City manager Pep Guardiola, after it was revealed that the legendary head coach will be leaving the Etihad at the end of the season.
Speculation around Guardiola’s departure date has been rife as the season draws to a close, despite the Catalan having one year left on his contract.
According to report, Man City’s sponsors were among those to have been told that Guardiola will be calling time on a remarkable trophy-ladened spell on Sunday.
The report also shared that Maresca, Guardiola’s former assistant, was a front-runner for the vacant spot at the dugout, with Fabrizio Romano confirming on Tuesday morning that the ex-Chelsea manager will be taking over.
The Italian head coach has been out of work since his mutual departure from Stamford Bridge under strained circumstances on January 1.
But even before his acrimonious mid-season exit, Maresca has been viewed as a long-term successor to Guardiola following their stint working together at Man City.
The 46-year-old served as Guardiola’s assistant between 2022 and 2023 after previously coaching Man City’s youth sides, before departing to earn Championship promotion with Leicester.
Maresca then went on to win the Uefa Conference League and the Club World Cup with Chelsea during his 18-month spell in west London.
Guardiola is set to celebrate his time in English football with an open-top bus parade in Manchester after winning the Carabao Cup and FA Cup this season, but until Monday night, the manager had been notably vague over his future plans.
But before news broke of his shock exit, Guardiola had been keen to tamp down any suggestions that he would be commemorated with any fanfare.
‘The club don’t have to do anything, honestly,’ Guardiola, who has yet to officially confirm his departure, said. ‘The important thing in our lives is that when you look back, you can look with a big smile and say “that was good”.
‘Bernardo (Silva) and John (Stones) can feel that. We spoke about it over the last few days. When you’re old, a grandfather, you can look at the memories. That is the most important thing in life.’
Tired of addressing his contractual situation, Guardiola added with a dose of sarcasm: ‘Whatever happens at the end of the season – and when I extend my contract for three more years – I can look back and say, “how nice has that been?”
‘That is the most important thing by far. Most of the people who lived this time here together can feel it.’
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