French teenager has hand amputated after police grenade injury in Lens
A 15-year-old had his left hand amputated after being hit by a police grenade during a school protest in Lens, northern France, local newspaper Le Progrès reported.
A 15-year-old boy has had his left hand amputated after being struck by a police grenade during a protest near a school in Lens, northern France, on Monday, regional newspaper Le Progrès reported. The mayor of nearby Wingles, Sébastien Messent, said the teenager also received a skin graft on his right hand and had wounds to his face and chest, and was sedated and sleeping for much of Tuesday.
The injury happened during a protest outside the Auguste-Béhal secondary school in Lens, part of a wider wave of nationwide student demonstrations against education cuts. The Béthune prosecutor, Étienne Thieffry, said investigators had established that police used several grenades, including tear gas and at least one "stun" type, after officers came under projectile fire and bins were set alight. No complaint had been filed as of Tuesday evening, he said, adding that witness interviews were continuing.
France's police watchdog, the IGPN, has opened an investigation to establish whether the teenager picked up the grenade himself or whether it landed on him, and whether the officers' use of force complied with regulations. A police union source and a security source told Le Progrès the grenade involved was a type known as a GM2L, which the manufacturer says combines a loud bang with tear gas released just before impact.
Interior minister Laurent Nuñez, who has defended the "proportionality" of police operations during the protests, is due to be questioned by parliament's National Assembly on the matter on Wednesday.
What we know
- A 15-year-old had his left hand amputated after being hit by a police grenade during a protest in Lens on Monday, the mayor of Wingles said.
- He also received a skin graft on his right hand and had facial and chest injuries.
- Police used tear gas and at least one stun grenade after officers came under projectile fire, the Béthune prosecutor said.
- France's police watchdog, the IGPN, has opened an investigation into the circumstances and whether the force used complied with regulations.
- France's interior minister is due to be questioned by parliament on the incident on Wednesday.
Not yet confirmed
- Whether the teenager picked up the grenade himself or whether it landed on him has not been established.
- Whether the police use of force complied with regulations has not been established.
- Whether a formal complaint has been filed has not been confirmed.
Why it matters for Europe
The injury has intensified scrutiny of policing tactics during France's nationwide student protests, which have already seen thousands of arrests and school closures this week. The interior minister's scheduled parliamentary appearance shows the incident has become a political flashpoint over how police have handled the demonstrations.
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Questions and answers
- What happened to the teenager in Lens?
- He had his left hand amputated after being struck by a police grenade during a school protest on Monday, the mayor of Wingles said.
- Has anyone been held responsible?
- France's police watchdog, the IGPN, has opened an investigation but has not yet established what happened.
- Is this linked to wider unrest?
- Yes, it happened during a nationwide wave of student protests against education cuts that has continued for several days.
This article was written with AI assistance from 1 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.