French police officer charged over tear gas grenade that injured 14-year-old student
A French policeman was charged with violence on 6 October after firing a tear gas grenade at close range at a 14-year-old student, who lost most of his teeth, during school protests. The prosecutor said the conditions for self-defence were not met.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2A French policeman was charged on 6 October with violence for firing a tear gas grenade at close range at a 14-year-old student during high school protests that have shaken the country. France 24N “A French policeman was charged Tuesday with violence for firing a tear gas grenade at close range at a 14-year-old student during high school protests that have shaken the country.” Read at France 24 ↗ The Straits TimesRC “A French policeman was charged on Oct 6 with violence for last week firing a tear gas grenade at close range at a 14-year-old student” Read at The Straits Times ↗ Right · 1The boy, named as Eden, lost most of his teeth and was wounded in the face in the incident in Saint-Ouen-l'Aumone, north-west of Paris, according to AFP copy carried by the Straits Times. The Straits TimesRC “The boy, named as Eden, lost most of his teeth and was wounded in the face in the incident on Oct 5 in Saint-Ouen-l’Aumone, north-west of Paris.” Read at The Straits Times ↗ Right · 1The prosecutor's office said the teenager suffered a fractured jaw that required surgery; his mother said his jaw is sealed shut, he can no longer speak and he eats through a straw. The Straits TimesRC “The teenager lost several teeth and suffered a fractured jaw that required surgery, the prosecutor’s office said.”““His jaw is sealed shut, he can no longer speak and he eats through a straw,” his mother told media on Oct 5” Read at The Straits Times ↗
Right · 1The officer was not remanded in custody but was placed under judicial control and banned from working until further notice, the local prosecutor said. The Straits TimesRC “The policeman had not been remanded in custody but was placed under judicial control and banned from working until further notice, the local prosecutor said.” Read at The Straits Times ↗ Right · 1Videos widely shared on social media show three helmeted officers facing the student; one struck the teenager, who kicked him back, before the grenade fired at his face knocked him to the ground. The Straits TimesRC “One of them struck the teenager, who kicked him back, before the grenade round fired at his face knocked him to the ground.” Read at The Straits Times ↗ Right · 1Detained for questioning, the officer said he used the weapon in response to the schoolboy's "resistance", according to Pontoise prosecutor Guirec Le Bras, who said "the conditions for self-defence have not been met" because of "the lack of proportionality". The Straits TimesRC “the officer said he used the weapon in response to the schoolboy’s “resistance”, according to the Pontoise prosecutor, Guirec Le Bras.”““the conditions for self-defence have not been met” due to “the lack of proportionality” in firing the grenade.” Read at The Straits Times ↗
Right · 1The prosecutor said the offence can be punished by up to 15 years in prison. The Straits TimesRC “The offence in question can be punishable by up to 15 years in prison, he said.” Read at The Straits Times ↗ Right · 1Police have used tear gas and other means to control what authorities describe as "urban violence" during the protests, while unions, rights groups and many of the children have accused police of disproportionate force. The Straits TimesRC “Unions, rights groups and many of the children have accused the police of using disproportionate force.” Read at The Straits Times ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre1 outlet
- Framing
- France 24 leads with the charge against the officer and the close-range firing at a 14-year-old during the high school protests.
- Emphasis
- The legal step: the charge of violence.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Details of the injuries, the prosecutor's reasoning and the officer's account are not in the coverage available.
- For example
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“French policeman charged after firing tear gas grenade at high school student” — France 24
Right1 outlet
- Framing
- The Straits Times, running AFP copy, leads with the teenager's injuries and then sets out the prosecutor's finding that self-defence did not apply.
- Emphasis
- The boy's injuries, his mother's account, the prosecutor's statements and criticism of police force by unions and rights groups.
- Leaves out or plays down
- No comment from police unions or the government is included.
- Charged language
- “urban violence”
- For example
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“The 14-year-old boy, named as Eden, lost most of his teeth when a tear grenade was fired at close range.” — The Straits Times
What every side reports
- A French policeman was charged on 6 October with violence for firing a tear gas grenade at close range at a 14-year-old student.
- The incident happened during high school protests in France.
Amnesty International organisation
Rights groups are reported as accusing police of disproportionate force in the protests; no direct statement from Amnesty International appears in the coverage.
“Unions, rights groups and many of the children have accused the police of using disproportionate force.” — The Straits Times
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre1 article
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French policeman charged after firing tear gas grenade at high school student
Neutral Headline and lede report the charge against the policeman plainly.
Right1 article
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The Straits TimesRC · · via AFP
Police officer charged in France after teen loses several teeth to tear gas grenade
Neutral AFP wire copy that reports the charge, injuries, prosecutor's statements and criticism of police force in measured terms.
- 6 Oct 19:16 First The Straits TimesRC Police officer charged in France after teen loses several teeth to tear gas grenade via AFP
- 6 Oct 22:04 +2h 47m France 24N French policeman charged after firing tear gas grenade at high school student
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.