30 blows: French officers face trial for 2020 assault on Zecler

Three police officers began their criminal trial on Monday in France for the 2020 beating of Michel Zecler, a Black music producer in Paris.

The incident occurred on November 21, 2020, outside Zecler's studio. Officers said they stopped him because he was not wearing a face mask and because they suspected him of using cannabis. They pushed him into his office entrance and struck him while security cameras recorded the event.

The accused officers are Aurelien B., 29, Pierre P., 37, and Philippe T. They face charges of intentional violence committed in a group and forgery. Prosecutors allege the officers attempted to conceal their actions in an official report. Each officer faces up to 15 years in prison.

Investigation details state that Zecler received approximately 30 punches and truncheon blows to his face and body over five minutes. A medical report documented craniofacial trauma, lip and scalp wounds, and a complete rupture of his biceps tendon. These injuries prevented him from working for 45 days.

France's ombudswoman stated that witnesses heard officers use racist insults during the assault. The officers deny this claim, and the indictment did not include specific charges of racism. Zecler told AFP that a slur was used against him and said he would repeat it during the hearing.

The officers' arrest report claimed Zecler struck them and tried to grab a truncheon. Video footage released by the website Loopsider contradicted this account. Zecler noted that the cameras were the only reason the officers' report did not lead to his imprisonment. He said he still suffers nightmares and has a titanium anchor in his left arm.

Rights groups cite the case as evidence of systemic racism within French police forces. They argue that ethnic minorities face harsher treatment than white people. Law enforcement unions maintain that such violence is isolated, while victims and researchers describe the pattern as systemic.

The issue has gained new attention amid student protests. A 14-year-old lost most of his teeth after an officer fired a grenade at close range. Separately, a policeman faces trial for the fatal point-blank shooting of 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk in 2023. In 2024, judges gave suspended sentences to three officers who injured a Black man during a 2017 stop. A survey of more than 5,000 people found that men perceived as Arab, Black, or from North Africa were four times more likely to be stopped and 12 times more likely to face severe measures.