victim’s family “relieved” after four college students convicted of harassment; says lawyer Catherine Faivre

Lucas’ family is “serene” And “relieved”according to lawyer Catherine Faivre after four teenagers were found guilty Monday, June 5 by the children’s court of Epinal of harassment, but not of the suicide of young Lucas, on January 7. “What was important was to recognize the suffering of Lucasexplains the lawyer. We have young children opposite, who were the same age as him. We will continue educational work with Lucas’ mother and the association that will be created”.

franceinfo: How do you welcome this decision?

Catherine Faivre: The family welcomes him in a rather calm way insofar as what was very important at this stage was to recognize the harassment Lucas suffered through mockery and homophobic insults. The causal link was ruled out in the public prosecutor’s requisitions and the court followed this suggestion, but Lucas’s mother did not see it unfairly. She is relieved that this teasing is recognized as harassment. What was important was acknowledging Lucas’ pain.

“The judicial response is not a truthful response. There will always be gray areas which unfortunately will hang over this case and the circumstances of the death of young Lucas.”

Catherine Faivre, lawyer

at franceinfo

Does Lucas’ family expect that the sentences, which will be pronounced in a few months, go up to the maximum incurred for school harassment, or 18 months in prison?

No. Lucas’ family was waiting for the recognition of the situation of harassment suffered. This is what was pronounced today, it being specified that an appeal period is open for ten days. She obviously expects educational work. We have young children opposite, who were the same age as Lucas. What is eagerly awaited is therefore this educational work that we will continue through actions that we will carry out within schools with Lucas’s mother and the association that will be created.

To your knowledge, is this decision of the Epinal juvenile court rare?

The law on school bullying is quite recent. Decisions are regularly handed down, but it’s always interesting on a strictly educational level to have a judicial response that puts a stop to trivialization. The idea is to move the lines, to rely on this decision today to then make the educational world and families more aware of these issues of harassment. There was again recently a drama of the same nature of a young girl who ended her life. Lucas’ mom really wants to be able to work to stop it. We do not claim to have miracle solutions, but in any case our actions will go in this direction.