Teenager apologizes in court for false claims linked to French teacher's murder

A teenager apologized in a French court for lies she told about her teacher, Samuel Paty, which contributed to his murder by an Islamist radical in 2020. The 17-year-old admitted she falsely claimed Paty had shown cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed. Eight people are on trial for their roles in creating a climate of hatred leading to Paty's beheading. Among them are the teenager's father and an Islamist activist who spread her false claims online. Both have been in pre-trial detention for four years. The teenager, who was 13 at the time of the incident, said she lied to cover up her school suspension. She later retracted her story after being interrogated by police. In December 2023, she received an 18-month probation sentence for slander.