A policeman in southern France has been formally charged with aggravated assault and failure to assist a person in danger, following the 2018 beating of a young woman during a protest in Marseille.
The victim — a 19-year-old saleswoman who gave only her first name, Angelina — was struck in the thigh by a projectile, allegedly fired by police, as she returned home from work with her boyfriend during a wave of demonstrations.
After she collapsed to the ground, she was reportedly surrounded by roughly fifteen officers who kicked and clubbed her, even as she lay on the pavement. Medical reports confirm she suffered a skull fracture and serious brain injuries.
Foreign media and human-rights outlets have long documented the case, often referred to as the Affaire Maria (also known as “Affaire Angelina”).
On December 5, 2025 — over seven years after the incident — the city’s prosecutor announced charges against one officer for aggravated assault and failure to assist a person in danger.
An additional officer has been charged solely with the latter offence, and eight others are under investigation for failure to render aid. A separate officer is prosecuted for allegedly assaulting the victim’s boyfriend, who had intervened.
Prosecutors had initially asked for pre-trial detention of the main suspect, but a judge instead placed him under judicial supervision and barred him from practising as a police officer during proceedings.
Activists and campaigners welcomed the charges, describing them as an overdue step toward justice — but warned they remain rare. Since the start of the Yellow Vest movement in 2018, numerous allegations of police violence have surfaced, but few have resulted in prosecutions.
At the time of the 2018 protests, the authorities deployed hundreds of riot officers in Marseille. In what has been described as a “war-style” police operation, the force used tear gas, rubber-bullets and flash-projectiles against demonstrators.
Yet at the precise moment when the woman was assaulted — along a central shopping street — CCTV and witness statements indicate the area was calm, far from the clashes.
The decision to charge the officer represents a rare instance in which police violence during the Yellow Vest protests has been formally addressed by the courts. Legal experts say the case may set an important precedent, but caution that systemic change remains uncertain.
This article was created using automation technology and was thoroughly edited and fact-checked by one of our editorial staff members