A police complaint was filed after a man allegedly targeted Jewish beachgoers with antisemitic insults and death threats on the seafront promenade in Deauville.
The incident is said to have taken place at around 3:15 p.m. on 25 May near the Bar de la Mer, on a busy beach crowded with families and holidaymakers.
According to the complaint, the man began shouting at passers-by and attempting to identify people of Jewish faith.
Witnesses reported him shouting insults including “Dirty Jews” and “There are only Jews here”. The complaint further states that he then made repeated threats, saying: “I’m going to beat them” and “I’m going to kill them”, before adding: “In the name of Allah, I’m going to kill them.”
A father who was nearby with relatives said he was shocked by the scene and immediately alerted CRS officers stationed on the beach. Police reportedly intervened within minutes and detained the man for questioning.
According to the complaint, the suspect was accompanied by two other individuals who did not take part in the threats or insults. One of them allegedly tried to physically restrain him as he approached another person.
The complaint concerns allegations of “public insult against a private individual on the grounds of race, religion or origin” and “repeated death threats motivated by race, ethnicity, nationality or religion”.
Julien Bensimhon, the complainant’s lawyer, confirmed to Le Figaro that he represents the father who filed the complaint. He said efforts had been made to corroborate witness statements and that these had been successful.
According to the lawyer, the man walked along the Deauville boardwalk asking several people whether they were Jewish before directing insults and threats at “the Jewish community”. Bensimhon also said he had launched an appeal for witnesses in his capacity as lawyer for the Jewish Observatory of France (OJF).
Several videos reportedly show the man moving along the promenade, although they do not currently establish the full extent of the alleged death threats detailed in the complaint. Other individuals present on the beach are also said to be considering filing complaints or joining the case as civil parties.
According to the complainant’s lawyer, the man was released without being taken into police custody. The Lisieux public prosecutor’s office did not respond to requests for comment from Le Figaro.
