French court jails one over cyber harassment of Brigitte Macron

Eight defendants were handed suspended sentences of four to eight months in prison while a ninth man was sentenced to six months in prison over his absence from the hearing.

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A Paris court on Monday sentenced 10 people accused of cyber-bullying President Emmanuel Macron’s wife Brigitte by spreading false information about her gender and insinuations related to the age difference between France's first couple.

The relationship between Emmanuel Macron, 48, and Brigitte, 72, who met while she was a drama teacher at his school, has been the subject of intense interest since he became president in 2017.

Eight defendants were handed suspended sentences of four to eight months in prison while a ninth man was sentenced to six months in prison over his absence from the hearing.

Presiding judge Thierry Donard described the claims of the French first lady’s “alleged paedophilia” as “malicious, degrading and insulting”, saying the defendants had received sentences for “intentionally harming the complainant”.

They and a tenth person were ordered to follow a course against hate speech online, to be paid at their own expense.

Three individuals considered to be the key instigators online also had their social media accounts suspended for six months.

“The most important things are the prevention courses and the suspension of some of the accounts” of the perpetrators, said Jean Ennochi, Brigitte Macron’s lawyer, after the verdict was handed down.