The French government on Wednesday defended the arrest of a teenage boy in the middle of class over claims of bullying a transgender classmate, a rare move that angered many pupils and parents despite widespread support for a crackdown on harassment.
The 14-year-old boy was put in handcuffs and marched out of his classroom in the Paris suburb of Alfortville Monday.
Government spokesman Olivier Veran said the arrest had been made "in compliance" with policies against abusive behaviour, and aimed to send "a very strong message" to bullying students.
"This is how we end this plague of harassment, it's also how we are going to protect our children," he said.
A police source told AFP the decision to arrest the boy was based on "the nature of extremely serious threats that required urgent detention".
The alleged victim, who attends a different school, was targeted with comments such as "We're going to cut your throat" and "I detest your type... go die, go kill yourself".
At the boy's school, many parents and fellow students were shocked at the arrest, asking why it could not have been done after the school day.
"He's still just a teenager, a minor," said Lamia, the 39-year-old parent of a student. "It's really not normal... even though I'm against what was going on."
One 14-year-old student who witnessed the arrest told AFP that "the principal knocked and told us an arrest was underway. Officers came in and seized his arms... and put on handcuffs.
"I thought it was impossible for police to come into a classroom," she added. "We were shocked, some were laughing nervously."
Didier Georges, of the SNPDEN-Unsa education union, said while regulations had been followed for the arrest, "that is not what we recommend for an intervention".
- Victim's suicide -
"Common sense would dictate that such arrests not be made in class, even when completely justified," he said.
The controversy comes days after it emerged that education officials had sent a threatening letter to the parents of a boy who had complained of being bullied by classmates for months, saying their public statements complaining about the bullying were "unacceptable" and urged them to adopt a "constructive" attitude.
The boy, identified as Nicolas, 15, later killed himself on September 5 in a Paris suburb, one day after pupils went back to school after the summer break.
Education Minister Gabriel Attal called the letter "shameful" and promised "a wake-up call" on the risks of bullying.
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