Yanis, 17, Takes His Life After His Abuser's Release From Prison
Doha – A 17-year-old French teenager of Moroccan origin named Yanis took his own life on March 30, after learning that the man who had sexually abused him had been released from prison and was living just three kilometers away from his home.
The tragedy occurred in Haute-Savoie, eastern France, where Yanis lived with his family in the town of Thyez. His abuser, a 58-year-old man who was a former neighbor and family friend, had been released in February after serving just two years and four months of a five-year prison sentence.
'You don't release someone knowing they live near the person they assaulted!' Delphine, Yanis's mother, said in a statement to the media.
Yanis's father, Farid, discovered the abuser's release by chance during a conversation with an acquaintance. He chose to inform his son rather than risk Yanis encountering the man unexpectedly.
Three days after learning this news, Yanis posted on Instagram: 'Knowing that the man who took three years of my life is free less than 3 km from my home disgusts me so much.'
Shortly afterward, on March 30, the teenager took a fatal overdose of medication. In a farewell letter found on his phone, he explicitly cited his abuser's release and proximity as reasons for his suicide.
The case has exposed serious gaps in France's judicial system regarding the protection of sexual abuse victims. While victims of domestic violence must be notified when their abusers are released from prison under a December 2021 decree, no such requirement exists for victims of sexual assault.
Read also: Tragic Crime in Morocco: Teen Uncle Rapes, Strangles 5-Year-Old Girl, Dumps Body in Trash
The prosecutor of Bonneville, Boris Duffau, claims that Yanis's family was sent a letter informing them of his abuser's release, but the parents insist they never received it.
The abuser was placed under electronic monitoring and prohibited from contacting Yanis or other minors, but no geographical restrictions were imposed to keep him away from the victim's residence.
'I have hatred toward this system that doesn't protect children who are victims of sexual assault,' said Farid, expressing his anger at the judicial process.
The abuser, who had previously been convicted of similar offenses against minors in 2007 and 2014, has acknowledged some responsibility for Yanis's death. 'I have a small part of responsibility, but I cannot bear the entire burden for this suicide,' he stated in an interview.
The tragedy has prompted calls for legislative change. Steffy Alexandrian, president of 'Carl,' an association that supports child victims of sexual violence, is advocating for a 'Yaya's Law' (using Yanis's nickname).
The law would require judicial authorities to systematically inform minor victims of sexual offenses before their abusers are released from prison.
According to UNICEF statistics cited in the reports, a child is a victim of incest, rape, or sexual assault every three minutes in France.
Yanis's family is now calling on Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin to implement legal provisions to better inform victims and establish distancing measures to prevent similar tragedies. Yanis would have celebrated his 18th birthday on April 2, just days after his death. Tags: Moroccans in FranceRape casesuicide
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