Four people have been arrested in the French city of Mulhouse after a nine-year-old boy was allegedly beaten to death for refusing to do his homework.
All four are family members of the unidentified child, who went into cardiac arrest after reportedly being beaten with a broom handle and other blunt objects by his 19-year-old brother home on 17 September.
The assault was carried out in the presence of the boy’s 20-year-old sister, who allegedly participated in the beating, and his sister-in-law.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The fourth person arrested is the boy’s mother, who was in Paris working at the time, but is accused of encouraging the violence.
According to broadcaster FranceInfo, when informed that the boy would not do his homework, she told her older son: “He needs smacking.”
The child’s sudden death initially prompted an outpouring of support for his family, with Mulhouse residents organising a vigil to express their sympathy.
However, conflicting accounts of events from relatives, as well as an autopsy which revealed bruising on the boy’s body, particularly on the feet, led police to suspect foul play.
Earlier this week, a follow-up report by a forensic pathologist concluded that the cardiac arrest had been brought on by physical trauma, regional news website DNA reports.
On Tuesday, all four suspects were taken into custody, France Bleu reports, and they appeared in court today. The boy’s siblings were charged with causing unintentional death, while his mother is accused of complicity in the death and the sister-in-law faces a charge of failing to aid a person in danger, according to RTL reporter Samuel Goldschmidt.
-
Why Britain is struggling to stop the ransomware cyberattacksThe Explainer New business models have greatly lowered barriers to entry for criminal hackers
-
Greene’s rebellion: a Maga hardliner turns against TrumpIn the Spotlight The Georgia congresswoman’s independent streak has ‘not gone unnoticed’ by the president
-
Crossword: October 26, 2025The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s Iron Lady set to be the country’s first woman prime ministerIn the Spotlight Takaichi is a member of Japan’s conservative, nationalist Liberal Democratic Party
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of TaiwanIn the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdownIN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designationThe Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
