France probes young man’s suicide after family alleges racist abuse

French prosecutors have opened an investigation into the death of a 21-year-old man who died by suicide, following accusations from his family that he endured years of racist abuse. The young man's body was discovered last Monday in Chatonnay, a small village in southeastern France.

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You don’t belong here.

The victim's parents lodged a legal complaint on Friday, accusing individuals of psychological harassment and inciting suicide. Their lawyer stated that their son had been subjected to racist taunts by local youths for several years, with incidents occurring at village gatherings where he was told, "You don't belong here."

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He came back extremely shaken because he had allegedly been subjected to insults. We recently received testimony indicating that he may have been stripped naked and humiliated there.

The uncle of the deceased revealed that the young man's mother is of Algerian descent, and he had developed insecurities regarding his skin color. The family has appealed for witnesses from a party the young man attended shortly before his death, where he reportedly returned deeply distressed after alleged insults. Testimony suggests he may have been stripped naked and humiliated at the event.

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warning of a resurgence in racist abuse and harassment

Campaign group SOS Racisme has voiced concerns about a resurgence in racist harassment, attributing the increase in "openly racist speech" to its normalization in public discourse. The group argues that as political figures adopt far-right rhetoric and racism becomes a constant media topic, some individuals feel emboldened to harass and assault others.

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the result of its normalisation in public debate. As political leaders increasingly adopt the obsessions and talking points of the far right, and as the media turn racism into a constant subject of controversy, some people now feel entitled to insult, harass, and assault others.