Seddik A., 23, was found guilty of assault because of the victim's gender by the Paris Criminal Court and was ordered to abstain from contacting the victim, Julia Boyer, or appearing near her residence.
He was also ordered to pay her 3,500 euros ($3,900), and 1,500 euros to each of three LGBT defence associations that had supported her.
“Justice has been served,” commented Boyer, 31, before adding: “I am not sure prison is the best solution but I hope he will think about this and not do it again.”
On March 31, Boyer, who had begun transitioning to female eight months earlier, was singled out by a group of men near a Paris metro station in the midst of a demonstration against former Algerian president Abdelaziz Bouteflika.
Julia Boyer. Photo: AFP
She was verbally abused and had beer thrown at her before video surveillance cameras shows Seddik A. touch her hair and punch her several times in the face.
Boyer escaped into the metro station with the help of several workers for the underground network.
“This trial is symbolic, because the French justice system took into account the discriminatory aspect of transphobic acts,” her lawyer Etienne Deshoulieres remarked.
Agression verbale et physique #transphobe place de la République à Paris. Effet de meute insupportable contre cette personne. Nous adressons tout notre soutien à la victime. Les auteurs de ces actes doivent être sanctionnés. Cc: @Lyes_Alouane pic.twitter.com/Kz1aCPvcuk
— SOS homophobie (@SOShomophobie) April 2, 2019
Seddik A. did not deny attacking the victim, but said he did not utter insults against transgender people and was not “homophobic”.
His lawyer Mariame Toure called the sentence “severe” and said it was a reaction to “media frenzy about the case”.
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