A group of children on their way to school made a horrifying discovery on a Marseille beach: the charred body of 15-year-old Adel. He had been shot in the head, doused in petrol and set alight, his remains filmed and shared online.
The killing was not an aberration, but the latest chapter in a drug war that has plunged parts of France’s oldest port city into what locals describe as a “psychose” — a state of collective fear.
Marseille’s drug trade, once governed by informal codes, has become increasingly chaotic. Police and prosecutors say violence is now marked by random attacks, public executions and the growing involvement of children, many recruited or coerced through social media platforms.
The Ministry of Justice estimates the number of teenagers involved in drug trafficking has more than quadrupled in eight years.
Former gang members describe a brutal shift. “There are no rules anymore,” said one man in his early twenties, showing scars from multiple gunshot wounds. He said gangs increasingly rely on minors, paying little and exposing them to extreme violence. “They end up killing others for no real reason,” he added.
The atmosphere of fear has spread beyond the cités — high-rise social housing estates long associated with poverty and crime. Lawyers, journalists and activists critical of gangs have requested police protection.
One local lawyer said she stopped representing victims of gang violence after receiving threats. “The rule of law is subordinate to the gangs,” she said.
The crisis deepened last month with the killing of Mehdi Kessaci, a 20-year-old trainee police officer with no links to drug trafficking. Many believe his murder was a warning aimed at his brother, Amine Kessaci, a prominent anti-gang activist.
Speaking under police protection, Amine described his family’s sense of guilt and despair. “The victims are getting younger and younger,” he said.
Authorities have responded with aggressive policing tactics known as security “bombardments,” involving armed patrols and rapid raids on dealing points. Officials say dozens of drug spots have been shut down and millions of euros in criminal assets seized.
Yet prosecutors acknowledge a darker reality: teenagers and undocumented migrants are often trapped in the trade through threats, fabricated debts and violence.
Social media has become a key tool for gangs, advertising drugs and recruiting lookouts with promises of quick cash. Prosecutors warn that many who arrive in Marseille seeking easy money end up exploited or killed.
Politically, the violence has reignited fierce debate. Far-right figures call for tougher policing and immigration controls, while critics argue such rhetoric scapegoats communities and ignores deep-rooted poverty. Writers and community leaders warn that repression alone treats symptoms, not causes.
“These kids are still children,” said one local expert. “Behind the violence are dreams crushed by neglect.” As Marseille grapples with fear and grief, the question remains whether the city can break the cycle before another generation is lost.