Ten individuals are facing potential two-year prison sentences each following allegations of engaging in sexist cyberbullying against French first lady Brigitte Macron. Seven of the accused individuals, described as ‘trolls’, stood trial for supposedly harassing Ms. Macron to the extent that it significantly impacted her physical and mental well-being.
The defendants, comprising one woman and six men, are charged with spreading false claims that the 72-year-old first lady was originally male and labeling her as a “paedophile” who mistreated her husband, President Emmanuel Macron, during his childhood. Should they be found guilty of cyberbullying Brigitte Macron, all face a maximum penalty of two years in prison.
While ten people were charged in total, three failed to appear for the commencement of their trial at the Paris Correctional Court. Among the attendees was Amandine Roy, also known as Delphine Jegousse, a 53-year-old clairvoyant, who allegedly made defamatory statements about Ms. Macron in a lengthy YouTube video, suggesting she was born as a boy named Jean-Michel Trogneux in 1953, which is actually the name of Brigitte’s brother.
During the criminal trial, Roy, like the other defendants, was accused of online harassment against Brigitte Macron, leading to a substantial decline in her physical and mental health. The defendants maintain their innocence and argue that their freedom of speech rights are being violated due to criticizing a prominent figure in the Paris political sphere.
The trial is centered on numerous derogatory remarks about Brigitte Macron’s gender, sexuality, and the age gap between her and her husband, which has led to comparisons to a paedophile. The Paris prosecutors’ spokesperson confirmed that Ms. Macron lodged a cyberbullying complaint on August 27th, an offense that could result in a two-year prison term.
One of the accused individuals, Aurelien Poirson-Atlan, known as ‘Zoe Sagan’ on social media, is being defended by Juan Branco, who criticized the prosecution for allegedly having political motives and infringing on freedom of speech.
The Macron couple’s relationship has long been the subject of gossip due to its unconventional start when Emmanuel Macron, then a high school student, fell in love with his teacher Brigitte Auzière, who was significantly older and married at the time. Despite facing societal scrutiny, the couple eventually married in 2007, years before Emmanuel Macron’s unexpected rise to become the French president.
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