On Wednesday, a French court sentenced seven people for publishing anti-Semitic messages against April Benayoum, the winner of Miss Provence and one of the winners of the Miss Provence contest. France.
Four women and three men will have to pay reparations to Benium and several anti-racist associations, as well as fines ranging from €300 to €800 (from R$2,000 to R$5.2 thousand, approximately).
Four convicts will also need to attend a two-day “citizenship course.” Despite the conviction, the Prosecutor General’s Office requested tougher penalties: Two months from the conditional release of the seven convicts and the eighth acquittal.
April Benayoum came under attack after she said in Miss Provence that her passion for geography may be traced back to her origins: her mother is Serb-Croatian and her father is Italian-Israeli.
7 people convicted over messages against April Benayoum, Miss Provence and Miss France nominee – Photo: Reproduction / Instagram
The statement sparked hate messages online, such as “I vote against the Jew”, “Miss Provence is Israeli, that bitch” and “I boycott Israel”. – Examples of letters read by the President of the Paris Court who heard the case.
During the process, the defendants confessed to writing the letters, but none of them admitted that they were anti-Semitic. Some claimed that he worked for the Palestinian cause.
But for the judges, the letters express “a person’s disapproval on account of his or her origin” or “presumed religion”, “in terms of content and context”.
7 people convicted over messages against April Benayoum, Miss Provence and Miss France nominee – Photo: Reproduction / Instagram
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