Twenty-two investigations have been opened in connection with the false bomb threats which have multiplied in recent days, the Minister of Justice declared on RTL on Friday.
“On the ongoing investigations, in terms of justification, we have a lot of jokes in bad taste”the Ministry of Justice reports to franceinfo. Of the 22 investigations opened in connection with the numerous false bomb threats in recent days, the ministry is categorical: none of the people arrested claim any political position. It is mainly about “kids, little jokers who have no sense of responsibility”, said Eric Dupond-Moretti, the Minister of Justice, on RTL, Friday October 20. Among them, none have been convicted for similar acts, but some have criminal records.
Threat actors use messages more than phone calls. In both cases, David Le Bars, secretary general of the Union of National Police Commissioners (SCPN), told AFP on Wednesday: “We always end up, even if it may take a little time, by falling back on the person behind.” In this case, the Chancellery specifies that “all the people identified and interviewed at the moment are men”. She nevertheless emphasizes that “many other investigations are currently underway”.
Young people who act alone
Another recurring point among troublemakers: their youth. Most of them are minors, or barely adults, although a few profiles stand out from the crowd. According to the Versailles public prosecutor’s office, a 37-year-old man was arrested and placed in police custody on suspicion of being the author of the fourth false bomb threat at the Palace of Versailles on Friday. During his call, the suspect announced: “The throne of Louis XIV is going to blow up. See you. Evacuate”, confirms a source close to the matter to franceinfo. According to the Ministry of Justice, he acted alone, like all the people identified so far.
“Some said they did not anticipate what these actions could cause.”
The Department of Justiceat franceinfo
The Minister of Justice recalled on RTL that for minors, “It’s the parents who will pay the financial consequences.”. Laure Beccuau, Paris prosecutor, added in an interview with Parisian that, for the first time, these threats would be considered “like psychological violence against people with premeditation”. A change of qualification which increases the penalty incurred: “It’s an offense worth three years’ imprisonment and a fine of 45,000 euros.”
Since October 13 and the attack in Arras (Pas-de-Calais), no place has been spared from threats. A source close to the Ministry of Justice confirms the unprecedented aspect of the situation: “We have never seen so many bomb threats in such a short period of time.” However, the phenomenon is not new. In 2021, according to the Ministry of Justice, 759 sentences for the offense of disclosing false information were handed down. In 2022, the figure had decreased slightly, with 670 convictions. A downward trend which may not be confirmed in 2023.