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Paris

Hundreds Rally in France to Protest Antisemitic Gang Rape of 12-Year-Old

Hundreds of people rallied outside the town hall in the Paris suburb of Courbevoie on Friday, June 21, to protest the antisemitic youth gang-rape of a 12-year-old girl and rising levels of antisemitism in France.

The rally, organized by the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France (CRIF) and Courbevoie Mayor Jacques Kossowski, came two days after thousands more protested at the Paris City Hall on Wednesday at a rally organized by Collectif Nous Vivrons.

CRIF President Yonathan Arfi on Friday expressed solidarity with the victim, who, according to authorities, had last weekend been beaten and gang-raped by boys aged 12-14.

According to a French media report, she was assaulted because she had concealed her religion from her ex-boyfriend, one of the suspects. Kossowski praised the victim, whom he said in a statement had the courage to speak up “despite blackmail and death threats made against her.”

“The mayor of Courbevoie calls on the justice system to show exemplary severity so that this type of behavior does not flourish,” Kossowski said in his statement. He called for calm and restraint from citizens, noting that the victim, having suffered, should not endure the pressure of the entire city or country.

The European Jewish Congress praised the hundreds who gathered on Friday, but noted that the “heinous act underscores the troubling trend of both perpetrators and victims becoming younger.” (JPost / VFI News)

“Our Heavenly Father, we pray for the 12-year-old girl who was brutally raped due to her being Jewish. We pray in Yeshua’s name that You erase all the memories of this heinous crime from her mind and that You comfort her in Your arms, for as long as she needs to heal mentally and physically. We pray that You ensure justice be served so that these boys can no longer hurt anyone else and that they will eventually sorrowfully repent for their crimes. May You guide the young generations into knowing You and loving their neighbors as themselves.”