The French government has defended the arrest of a teenage boy in the middle of class over claims of bullying a transgender classmate, a rare move that angered many pupils and parents despite widespread support for a crackdown on harassment, reports The Guardian.
The 14-year-old boy was put in handcuffs and marched out of his classroom in the Paris suburb of Alfortville on Monday.
Government spokesperson Olivier Véran said the arrest had been made “in compliance” with policies against abusive behaviour, and aimed to send “a very strong message” to bullying students.
“This is how we end this plague of harassment, it’s also how we are going to protect our children,” he said.
A police source told the AFP news agency that the decision to arrest the boy was based on “the nature of extremely serious threats that required urgent detention”.
The alleged victim, who attends a different school, was targeted with comments such as “We’re going to cut your throat” and “I detest your type … go die, go kill yourself”.