Two boys are said to have raped a 12-year-old girl in France

The attack caused widespread shock and concern, particularly after an increase in anti-Semitic acts in France since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas.

The girl reported a rape in the town of Courbevoie on Saturday and three boys aged 12 and 13 were arrested, according to the regional prosecutor’s office.

Several preliminary charges were brought against two of the boys on Tuesday, including aggravated gang rape of a minor under 15, religiously motivated violence and public insult, death threats, attempted extortion and unauthorized recording or broadcasting of sexual images.

In accordance with victim protection guidelines, the public prosecutor’s office did not disclose the girl’s religious affiliation or her identity, which is common practice in hate crimes in France.

Later, lawyer and Jewish leader Elie Korchia said in an interview with French broadcaster BFM that the girl was Jewish and that Palestine was mentioned in the attack.

French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal wrote on X that the girl was “raped because she is Jewish,” calling it an anti-Semitic attack.

Died 12 years ago, part of the celebrations. – Gabriel Attal (@GabrielAttal) The pain, the solidarity and the total solidarity with this young girl, her parents and her friends. The horror and the rebellion against it are the focus in the face of a monstrous and pathetic act. The turn, once again, towards those who divide us, who face us, who divide us…June 19, 2024

The two boys will be held in custody until the investigation is completed, the public prosecutor’s office said.

The third boy was named as an assisted witness to the alleged rape and placed in a special education program.

The prosecution said the three boys “expressed their regret to the victim without mentioning their involvement.”

Political leaders from all camps condemned the attack.

France is currently engaged in a blitz campaign for the early parliamentary elections on June 30 and July 7. The leading politician and anti-immigration Rassemblement National (Rassemblement National) has sought to make security a central campaign issue.

Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin described the attack as “terrible” and said the police were limited in their ability to prevent such violence.

“It is a problem of parents… of authority. It is a problem of society as a whole,” he told BFM television.

On Wednesday evening, hundreds of people gathered in front of the Paris City Hall to protest against anti-Semitism.

Many in the crowd held up signs, including some with the slogan “Raped because she is Jewish.”