Assassination of Samuel Paty: after the tributes, the family has a demand on justice

A minute of silence is planned in all middle and high schools in France to honor the memory of Samuel Paty this Monday, October 14. In addition to the tributes, the family of the murdered teacher is waiting for legal sanctions to be pronounced.

A minute of silence to remember and honor the memory of Samuel Paty. Four years after the assassination of the history and geography teacher by a radicalized Islamist in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine (Yvelines), a tribute is planned in all middle and high schools in France, this Monday, October 14. The teacher had been threatened, then killed, for showing caricatures of the prophet Muhammad at his students as part of a course on freedom of expression. The minute of silence should also honor the memory of Dominique Bernard, a French teacher who was murdered in Arras by a student who was also radicalized a year ago, three years apart almost to the day with the death of Samuel Paty.

While a tribute ceremony for Dominique Bernard was organized in Arras on Sunday, October 13, attended by thousands of people and several members of the government, the Prime Minister is due to visit the Conflans-Sainte-Honorine college, where Samuel Paty worked, on the afternoon of Monday, October 14. Michel Barnier will be accompanied by the Minister of National Education, Anne Genetet.

The tributes paid to Samuel Paty will continue this Saturday, October 19, with the presentation of the Samuel Paty Prize from the Sorbonne, which is to reward class projects that highlight “democratic principles and values”. In a final tribute planned soon, the Conflans-Sainte-Honorine college, which was in mourning following the assassination of the professor, is expected to be renamed after the teacher.

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Sanctions and justice “up to par”

So many tributes welcomed by the family, but Samuel Paty's relatives also expect a lot from the judicial response to the professor's murder. Especially since the second trial organized in this case to judge eight adults – the first trial focused on the case of six children tried for “false accusation” and “criminal conspiracy to prepare aggravated violence” – is to be held from November 4 to December 20 at the Special Assize Court in Paris. Two of the accused, friends of the assailant, are accused of “complicity in terrorist murder” and the other six accused are appearing for “criminal terrorist association”.

The trials in the Samuel Paty case “are important judicially, but also socially,” says Francis Szpiner, lawyer for the late professor's partner and son. “This is a historic trial, because the death of Samuel Paty is, in my eyes, a turning point in the life of the Republic. We expect justice to be up to par, especially since we have very bad memories of the first trial that took place before the juvenile court.” adds the lawyer to the Figaro. “Sentences to match” even more expected by Samuel Paty's parents, very sensitive to what their son's death represents for “the role of the teacher” and “the defense of secularism” according to their lawyer, Me Virginie Le Roy. 

Samuel Paty's family members also want the administration to answer for its actions and filed complaints in April 2022 for "failure to assist a person in danger" and "failure to prevent a crime" which led to the opening of an investigation by the Paris prosecutor's office. "Samuel Paty's relatives want answers above all, to know who did what or who did not do what" specifies Me Le Roy while the teacher knew he was threatened in the days preceding his death, but had not been subject to protective measures.