Six teenagers found guilty in connection with the beheading of teacher Samuel Paty
by 0 
Six teenagers have been found guilty in connection with the beheading of teacher Samuel Paty.
Mr Paty was murdered in an Islamist terror attack on 16 October 2020 near his school in Paris.
Police shot dead 18-year-old Abdullah Anzorov soon after the attack.
Teacher Mr Paty, 47, had shown pupils caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad – considered blasphemy by many Muslims – in a class on freedom of expression.
Five of the six teenagers on trial – aged 14 and 15 at the time – were accused of pointing out Mr Paty to the murderer or helping to monitor his exit from school.
A girl who was 13 at the time allegedly told her parents Mr Paty asked Muslim pupils to leave before showing the images, but she faced false accusation charges after it turned out she was not in the class.
Her father shared the lie in a video online, which called for mobilisation against Mr Paty, and is among the eight adults who will face a separate trial later next year.
All hearings were held at a Paris juvenile court behind closed doors, as required under French law regarding minors, and the media are not allowed to disclose their identities.
French media reports said in tearful testimonies, those on trial said they did not know the teacher would be killed.
All were handed brief or suspended prison terms, and will have to stay in school or work for the duration of their terms, with regular medical checkups.
Read more on Sky News:
Man pleads guilty to allegedly planning attack on hospital in Leeds
Terrorist escapes death penalty for Manhattan attack that killed eight
They left the courtroom without speaking. One appeared to wipe away tears as the verdicts were read out.
Mr Paty’s name was revealed on social media following the class on free expression where he showed the image of the Prophet Mohammad published by satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo.
The image in question prompted a massacre at the offices of the newspaper in 2015.
