Trial Examines Role of Online Exchanges in Samuel Paty’s Murder

Priscilla Mangel, accused of terrorist association, denies influencing the radicalized killer through her online messages.

Priscilla Mangel, the only female defendant in the trial of Samuel Paty’s murder, is accused of associating with radicalized individuals online.
Prosecutors allege Mangel exchanged 46 private messages with Abdoullakh Anzorov, the 18-year-old who killed Paty, discussing the teacher’s lesson on caricatures of Mohammed.
Mangel, who converted to Islam as a teenager, claims her comments online were impulsive and denies any intent to incite violence or influence Anzorov’s actions.
The court is evaluating whether Mangel’s online rhetoric, including provocative remarks about Charlie Hebdo and religious discrimination, indirectly encouraged the attack.
The verdict, expected on December 19, will determine if Mangel’s actions constitute terrorist association, carrying a potential 30-year prison sentence.