A 65-year-old man is standing trial this week at the criminal court in Le Puy-en-Velay, France, over an incident involving racist insults directed at children and a rifle shot fired near them, according to franceinfo.
The man is accused of aiming his rifle at children and discharging it in their vicinity in the Haute-Loire region, as reported by RTL. Prosecutors have also charged him with uttering racial slurs during the confrontation, with Le Dauphiné Libéré quoting him as saying he was proud to be racist.
The case has drawn attention because of the age of the alleged victims and the threatening nature of the weapon use. Le Figaro notes the trial began Monday at the tribunal correctionnel, the local criminal court.
Witness accounts cited by Le Figaro describe the man telling the children, "We are not in the savannah," a remark that prosecutors say was racially motivated. The children were reportedly playing nearby when the man became agitated and fired the rifle, though no injuries have been reported.
The defendant's identity has not been released, and he has not yet entered a plea in open court. The proceedings are expected to examine both the firearm discharge and the language used, with the court weighing whether the actions constituted a hate crime under French law.
The trial is being held in Le Puy-en-Velay, the administrative center of Haute-Loire, a department in south-central France. Local media have followed the case closely since the incident, which occurred in a residential area.
Observers will be watching whether the court treats the racial insults as an aggravating factor in sentencing, which could increase the penalty if the man is convicted. A verdict is expected after the court hears testimony from the children and other witnesses.
