Graphic Novelist Bastien Vivès to Stand Trial Over Alleged Pornographic Depictions of Minors
The French artist and two publishing houses face legal proceedings in May following accusations tied to two controversial comic books.
- Bastien Vivès will be tried on May 27-28, 2025, by the Nanterre correctional court for alleged creation and distribution of pornographic images involving minors in two of his comic books.
- The implicated works, 'La Décharge Mentale' and 'Petit Paul,' have drawn criticism for their explicit content, with the latter depicting a child in sexually explicit scenarios.
- Publishing houses Les Requins Marteaux and Glénat, which released the works, will also face charges for distributing material considered pornographic involving minors.
- The legal action follows a 2023 investigation initiated after child protection groups filed complaints against Vivès and the publishers, though prior reports in 2018 and 2020 were dismissed.
- Vivès and his lawyer have criticized the charges, questioning the shift in legal interpretation since 2019 and arguing the works are provocative fiction rather than criminal acts.
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