Two of the four teenagers involved in a machiavellian plan to kill a high school student last fall receive 12 and 15 months of probation respectively. A relief for the victim, who deplores the conflicting use of social networks among young people of his age.
Posted at 12:37 p.m.
“On September 5, our life changed. Four young people, three of whom we knew very well, plotted to kill and torture our son, ”summarized the mother of the victim in a disturbing testimony.
Last fall, four young people from a secondary school in Saint-Michel hatched a plan to set fire to their school and kill an old friend. They were particularly inspired by the tragedy of Columbine, in the United States.
Threats on social networks. False rumors of sexual harassment. A plot to kill her former childhood friend: the mother struggles to understand what happened in the minds of the young instigators. “My son was targeted. He was called a rapist after false rumors spread online. »
The boy also left his extracurricular activities and found himself in school failure. Even afterwards, the young man found himself in a state of constant stress. He went to school in a state of hypervigilance, he explained to the journalists present.
“If I had a message for young people: speak out loud. Social networks generate conflicts and people are not there themselves. I am lucky to still be here to tell you about it. »
The victim’s father, still in shock, invited parents to “assume their role” and not live in denial when their child makes disturbing comments online. “My son is alive because this plan failed. Signals had been sent before. When your child spreads hurtful words on social media, you have to set a limit. »
Isolated young people
There was planning and premeditation in the words and information transmitted by the defendants which led to a detailed plan, noted the judge about the two defendants.
“The report also highlights the distress of isolated adolescents during the pandemic and the maladaptive ways to respond to their great distress,” she added.
The accused, a 15-year-old boy and his 16-year-old accomplice who cannot be identified under the Youth Protection Acthad previously pleaded guilty.
They receive respectively 15 months and 12 months of probation. They will have to respect several conditions, in particular with regard to their use of social networks. They are also prohibited from possessing weapons and pyrotechnic material.
The trial of the two other young people involved in this sordid plan will be held next October.