French State Held Liable for School Bullying That Led to Student's Suicide

A Versailles court ruled that systemic negligence in handling bullying directly contributed to the 2018 death of a middle school student, ordering €92,000 in compensation for the family.

The Tribunal administratif de Versailles condemned the French State for failing to address severe bullying endured by a middle school student in Essonne between 2017 and 2018.
The court linked the bullying directly to the student's suicide in November 2018, citing the administration's failure to take adequate disciplinary actions against the perpetrators.
The State was ordered to pay €92,000 in damages to the victim's family, including €65,000 for the parents and €27,000 for the siblings.
Evidence revealed the student's psychological health deteriorated significantly due to the bullying, leading to medical treatment, a suicide attempt in late 2017, and ongoing trauma despite transferring schools in 2018.
The ruling highlights systemic failures in France's public education system and raises broader questions about the accountability of institutions in protecting students from harm.