Evan's hand severed by grenade

A 15-year-old student named Evan had his left hand severed by a sound grenade during a demonstration on the sidelines of a student protest in Lens, Pas-de-Calais, on Monday.

Evan denies involvement in violence

Evan's lawyer, Christine Bouquet-Wattez, stated this Saturday that Evan denies having picked up the grenade that caused the loss of his hand and denies any involvement in violence.

Prosecutor says grenade was fired correctly

On Friday, the prosecutor of Béthune, Étienne Thieffry, said that the firing of the police grenade was carried out "in accordance with the prescribed procedure" under the regulations, based on the initial findings of the investigation conducted by the IGPN.

Testimonies suggest grenade was picked up

The prosecutor noted that "all the testimonies, except one, converge on the fact that the grenade was fired from a long distance (80 meters), that it 'landed on the ground,' before one of the demonstrators 'picked it up until it exploded,' noting however that 'there is no video available to investigators showing the explosion of the grenade.'"

Evan's lawyer challenges official version

Christine Bouquet-Wattez said that Evan "formally contests the version of events adopted by the prosecutor," emphasizing that the teenager has not yet been heard by the police, no direct images of the incident are available, and the testimonies collected present divergences.

Lawyer emphasizes Evan's status as a victim

The lawyer emphasized that "it is necessary to recall the obvious," stating that the teenager, whose left hand was severed by the explosion of a sound grenade, "is the victim," and that "no law enforcement operation could justify a teenager losing a hand."

Investigation continues and complaint filed

The mother of the teenager was interviewed on Thursday and filed a complaint "for the injuries suffered by her son," according to the prosecutor of Béthune. The investigation, which is trying to determine whether the student picked up the grenade or whether it landed on him, "continues."

Public reaction and policy response

This case, among other cases of serious injuries to students attributed to law enforcement, has sparked strong emotions and criticism from the left regarding the methods of maintaining order since the beginning of the student protest movement in mid-September. In response, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez ordered on Wednesday the suspension of the use of sound grenades against the student mobilization until the circumstances of the incident in Lens are clarified.