Light Sentences Sought in Assault on French Mayor and Family

Prosecutors request minimal penalties for two men accused of racially charged violence against a communist mayor and his relatives in Avignon.

The incident occurred in December 2023, when Mayor André Mondange, his daughter, and his niece were reportedly attacked outside a bar in Avignon during a private family gathering.
Prosecutors have requested an €800 fine for one suspect, Siméon S., and a one-year suspended prison sentence with probation for the other, Hugo H., along with a two-year ban from Avignon.
The altercation allegedly began with racist remarks directed at the mayor's daughter, who is of mixed race, and escalated into physical violence involving a bottle and punches.
The suspects deny the allegations, with one claiming the injuries sustained by the victims may have been caused accidentally by their own relatives during the scuffle.
The case has drawn political attention, with critics arguing that the proposed sentences fail to reflect the severity of the racially motivated attack and its implications for public officials.