France to trial 11 suspects in Crépol murder case

Eleven suspects have been ordered to stand trial in France for the 2023 killing of 16-year-old Thomas Perotto in the village of Crépol. The judicial decision includes a racist aggravation, citing hostility toward the “white race and the French nation.”

The incident occurred during the night of November 18–19, 2023, following a violent altercation between locals and individuals from the nearby area of Romans-sur-Isère. Perotto was fatally stabbed while attempting to leave the scene. While the direct perpetrator of the fatal blow has not been identified, judges have decided to try the eleven suspects as a group.

A twelfth individual, who was a minor at the time of the incident, will be tried in a juvenile court for voluntary violence and weapons possession. The case has carried significant political weight in France, with leaders such as President Emmanuel Macron describing it as a “terrible attack” and far-right figures using the event to highlight concerns regarding immigration and national identity.