Agadir – A Paris court convicted 10 people on Monday on charges of harassing France’s First Lady, Brigitte Macron online. They are found guilty of cyberbullying for spreading claims about her gender and personal life, including allegations that she was born male.
The court sentenced defendants to 8-month suspended prison sentences for sharing “particularly degrading, insulting, and malicious” comments and posts on social media. The convicted include eight men and two women aged 41 to 65.
The individuals shared content claiming that Brigitte was born a man under the name Jean-Michel Trogneux, the actual name of her older brother. They also criticized the 24-year age gap between Emmanuel Macron and the wife, linking it to pedophilia.
Amid the numerous attacks about her sexual identity, the first lady says that she continues to fight for the sake of helping others to take actions against harassment.
“I want to help adolescents to fight against harassment, and if I do not set an example, it will be difficult,” she said.
Brigitte’s daughter Tiphaine Auzière – who is one of three children from Brigitte Macron’s first marriage – stated that her mother “cannot ignore the horrible things said about her.”
Auzière told the court that her mother’s life has “deteriorated” as a result of the intensified online harassment. She added that the abuse has affected the whole family, including Macron’s grandchildren.
In addition to pursuing legal action in France, the Macrons have filed a defamation lawsuit in the United States against conservative commentator Candace Owens, accusing her of spreading false and damaging statements about Brigitte Macron.