Lawyer files two complaints after teenager loses hand in Saint-Etienne protest

The lawyer for a 17-year-old who lost a hand in a grenade blast during protests in Saint-Etienne has filed complaints against the officer who used it and French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez, Le Figaro and local broadcaster TL7 reported on October 20.

The teenager was seriously injured during Saturday’s demonstration against the high cost of living. His lawyer, Yassine Bouzrou, is seeking an investigation into the police officer or gendarme who used the grenade. The complaint alleges intentional violence causing mutilation, aggravated by the use of a weapon and the officer’s public authority.

The complaint against Nunez was filed with the Court of Justice of the Republic, which handles alleged offenses committed by government ministers in office. The lawyer accuses the minister of complicity in violence through instructions authorizing police weapons.

Nunez said he could not confirm reports that a gendarmerie grenade had been used. The national police and gendarmerie inspectorates are investigating. Investigators must establish the type of grenade and the circumstances in which it was used.