Five Charged in Narbonne Attack Killing 17-Year-Old

A 17-year-old boy has died following a brutal, premeditated assault in the southern French city of Narbonne, an attack prosecutors allege was carried out in retaliation for his earlier report to police. The victim, identified as Louis, succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday, June 23, after several days in a medically induced coma.

According to the Narbonne prosecutor's office, Louis was lured to a construction site on Quai d'Alsace on the evening of Friday, June 19. Investigators believe he was ambushed by a group of youths who repeatedly punched and kicked him, leaving him unconscious at the scene. He was discovered by a construction worker the following morning, approximately 14 hours later, and rushed to a hospital in Narbonne before being transferred to Perpignan for specialist care.

Authorities said the investigation progressed rapidly after detectives obtained a video of the assault that had circulated on social media. The footage, allegedly recorded by one of the attackers, shows the sustained beating and was used to identify five suspects. Three of those arrested are minors, while two are adults aged 18 and 19. All five have been charged in connection with the killing and...