Overview

• 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.