Three French Police Officers Face Trial Over 2020 Beating of Michel Zecler

Three French police officers are scheduled to go on trial in Paris over the beating of Michel Zecler, a Black music producer, according to The Guardian. The trial is set to open on Monday, 9 November, and to run until 19 November, Le Monde reported.

The case dates to November 2020, during the Covid pandemic. Police stopped Zecler outside his studio in Paris on 21 November 2020. The officers accused him of failing to wear a face mask, which was mandatory at the time, and suspected him of cannabis use. Zecler was 47 when the trial was reported.

Investigators found that Zecler sustained about 30 punches and truncheon blows to the face and body over a five-minute period. The beating took place inside his music studio and was captured on closed-circuit television and mobile phone footage, Reuters has reported.

A medical report recorded craniofacial trauma, a wound to the lip and scalp, and a complete rupture of his biceps tendon. Zecler was unable to work for 45 days.

In their arrest report, the officers said Zecler had hit them and tried to seize a truncheon. Studio security camera footage, released by the outlet Loopsider several days later, refuted that version of events.

The officers are identified as Aurelien B, now 29, Pierre P, 37, and Philippe T., who is 50. They face charges of intentional violence committed in a group, and of forgery over an official report that covered up their actions. If convicted, they face up to 15 years in prison.

France's human rights ombudswoman said that four witnesses reported that police used racist insults during the assault. That alleged racism is not included in the indictment.

Investigating judges, the magistrates who oversee inquiries before a case reaches trial, ordered the case to be tried in 2025. The three officers will appear before a Paris criminal court.