The mother and older brother of a 16-year-old Chadian girl living in France have been arrested on suspicion of kidnapping and torturing a 16-year-old teenager the girl had begun dating.
Reims public prosecutor François Schneider confirmed the arrests on Thursday but revealed there are at least five members of the girl’s family being investigated in relation to the incident.
On May 5, the teenage boy was reportedly lured from his home by an acquaintance before being forced into a Renault Clio and driven to an apartment on rue Alain-Polliart in the Croix-Rouge district of the city.
He was dragged down to a cellar where he was held captive and beaten severely, allegedly by his migrant girlfriend’s family.
Investigators believe the motive for the attack was revenge for entering into a relationship with the teenager.
The victim was later found walking the street where he managed to flag down a motorist who offered him assistance. He had multiple bruises on his body, several fractures to his nose, and a laceration on his right temple believed to have been a stab wound. A police source confirmed he was incapacitated for eight days, and the attack had resulted in a “very significant psychological impact” on the boy.
At a press conference on Friday, Schneider revealed further disturbing facts surrounding the case, including an allegation by the 16-year-old Chadian girl that she had been abused by her brothers and her mother who had shaved her head and spat at her after learning about the relationship.
The girl managed to escape the family residence and flee to a police station where she claimed she had been severely beaten by her family, including by her mother who had held a knife to her throat.
“Obviously, given the violence of the events as described by the two victims, it was decided to arrest the family as quickly as possible, who were obviously starting to look for her everywhere and apparently knew where she had taken refuge,” Schneider told press.
“People were arrested. It should be noted that the mother and older brother were questioned. The older brother was convicted in 2023 for serious violence to a prison sentence and was currently under an electronic tag. In his last statements, he admitted that he had discovered photos and videos on his sister’s phone implicating Karim, who was the first victim in this case, and that this had infuriated him,” he explained.
According to the authorities, the older brother admitted to beating his sister and confronting her boyfriend; however, he denies being violent towards him.
“The mother in question, after denying everything, admitted hitting her daughter after discovering her relationship with Karim, but denied biting her or spitting at her, let alone threatening her with a knife.
“However, she had witnessed the older brother’s violence towards her younger sister and, contrary to her son’s claims, she said that she had never been present when Karim was in the flat. She did, however, admit to cutting off her daughter’s hair with a pair of scissors.”
The public prosecutor confirmed the suspected offenses are punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
The investigation is ongoing.