Attack and injuries
Pierre Picavet, a police officer and president of , an association defending the rights of LGBTQ people within France's justice and interior ministries, was hospitalised after an assault in Paris over the weekend. The attack occurred as he left a bar in the Marais district of central Paris in the early hours of Saturday, according to the Paris prosecutor's office.
Picavet was struck with a bottle and suffered multiple injuries, including internal bleeding, a head wound and a black eye, prosecutors said. He was treated in hospital and later spoke to France Inter radio on Monday, saying: "When I get better, when my wounds have healed, I will continue the fight." He added: "I am particularly shocked, but it tells me that there is still work to do."
Suspect and legal proceedings
The suspected attacker, a man born in 2006, was taken into custody. He was due to appear in court in Paris on Monday in an immediate trial, according to prosecutors. Prosecutors said the suspect had repeatedly directed a homophobic slur at Picavet during the assault. Picavet told prosecutors that he immediately identified himself as a police officer and showed his police ID, but the suspect continued the attack.
Prosecutors said the suspect had no previous criminal record and was intoxicated at the time of the assault.
Reactions
The attack was condemned by STOP Homophobie, an anti-homophobia group, which described it as a "homophobic attack" and published photographs showing Picavet's injuries. The group said: "STOP Homophobie condemns this attack in the strongest possible terms and stresses that anti-LGBT+ violence remains a reality."
Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire also condemned what he called "this despicable homophobic attack" in a message posted on X. "We will never surrender our streets to hatred," Grégoire said. "Paris will remain a refuge, a bulwark and a city of freedom for everyone."
Picavet, who has led FLAG! for 18 months, said he had spent much of that time raising awareness among members of the association to prevent such attacks. "Each person must take responsibility so that this kind of individual is not out on the streets attacking people because they are trans or gay," he said.