It is a new drama linked to school bullying which particularly moved the French. On May 12, 2023, Lindsay, a 13-year-old schoolgirl committed suicide at her home in Vendin-le-Vieil in Pas-de-Calais. Since her return to school, the teenager was constantly the target of mockery at Bracke Desrousseaux college, the establishment where she was studying. In addition to the bullying focused on his physique, his detractors denigrated his clothing choices on a daily basis.
To make matters worse, Lindsay was also the victim of death threats in addition to physical attacks. “Lindsay was asking the manager for help, who clearly told her she was bothering him with her nonsense,” reported our colleagues from “FranceInfo” and “BFMTV” who attended the press conference orchestrated by his family on June 1. “We received no support. Neither before, nor during, nor after”, regretted Betty Gervois, the mother of Lindsay.“I tried everything, we weren’t helped, we were let go”.
In the media, the mother and her companion have constantly denounced the lack of support from the National Education, the academy and the authorities. For his part, Pierre Debuisson, their lawyer filed four complaints for “non-assistance to person in danger” against the director of the Lindsay college, the police services, Facebook France (note for having flouted its obligations in terms of content moderation), and the Lille academy.
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“We were received very well…”
As a reminder, five people are currently indicted, including four minors. This Wednesday, June 7, 2023, Betty Gervois organized a new press conference. The opportunity for her to indulge in her one-on-one with Brigitte Macron who received her on the same date at the Élysée. As clarified “BFTMV” and the “Figaro“, the interview would have lasted a little less than two hours. A retired teacher, the wife of Emmanuel Macron is very committed against school harassment and cyberbullying.
“We were received very well”, explained Betty Gervois to journalists. “It was a conversation between a mom and another mom,” underlined his lawyer, Maître Pierre Debuisson. Shocked by her story, Brigitte Macron asked “Lindsay’s mother to be able to work with her hand in hand to continue this fight with concrete measures”, completed the lawyer. Moreover, Betty Gervois could also become the “ambassador of the pHARe program fight against harassment. On her scale, the First Lady is more determined than ever to make things happen.
NB