Latest news with #AuroreBerge
DW
a day ago
- Politics
- DW
France condemns Spanish minister's remark on Jewish teens – DW – 07/31/2025
France has slammed Spain's transport minister for calling French Jewish teens "Israeli kids" after their removal from a flight. France called the label discriminatory and added that Spanish police were heavy-handed. The French government has condemned remarks by Spain's transport minister who referred to a group of French Jewish teenagers removed from a flight as "Israeli kids," calling the comment unacceptable and discriminatory. Spain's Transport Minister Oscar Puente reportedly made the comment in a now-deleted post on X, accusing the political right of siding with the teens, who had been in the country for a summer camp, instead of defending the Spanish airline. In a joint statement on Wednesday, French ministers Aurore Berge and Benjamin Haddad said: "We firmly condemn the Spanish minister's statement equating French children of Jewish faith with Israeli citizens, as if that somehow justified the treatment they endured." The French ministers also criticized the use of force by Spain's Guardia Civil against one of the trip's counselors, who they say suffered injuries resulting in a 15-day medical leave. "No action justified the disembarkation or the excessive and brutal use of force," the statement said. The incident took place on July 23 at Valencia airport, when 44 French teenagers and their counselors were removed from a flight to Paris. Budget airline Vueling has said the teens displayed "inappropriate behavior' and endangered safety by tampering with oxygen masks and life vests. Airline Vueling said in statements that the adolescents had behaved inappropriately and posed a safety risk by manipulating emergency equipment. The company has opened an internal investigation. There are conflicting reports from fellow passengers to various news outlets, with some claiming the group were disruptive, to others who say they didn't appear to be unruly at all. According to several media outlets, Oscar Puente, Minister of Transport in Pedro Sanchez's left-wing government, published a post on X on Friday criticizing the right and accusing it of not defending the Spanish airline in favor of "teaming up with Israeli kids." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video He deleted his post on Saturday, according to the newspaper . Vueling stated that "the group of teenagers tampered with passenger safety equipment, posing a high risk to the aircraft, passengers, and crew." According to the airline, they attempted to "take life jackets, tamper with the overhead oxygen masks, and remove the high-pressure oxygen cylinder," as well as disrupt the safety demonstration. This "inappropriate behavior" continued "despite increasingly strong warnings from the crew," and ultimately "the captain was forced to request the intervention of the Civil Guard," Vueling explained. "We reiterate that the passengers were disembarked exclusively for safety reasons," it stressed. However, the camp organizer claimed that the teenagers were disembarked "without a valid reason." The Club Kineret association, which organized the summer camp, announced its intention to file a complaint against the airline "for physical and psychological violence and discrimination based on religion."
Toronto Sun
2 days ago
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
French ministers condemn 'excessive use of force' after Jewish youths were removed from a flight
Published Jul 30, 2025 • 2 minute read A Vueling Airbus A321 approaches for landing in Lisbon at sunrise, while the moon sets in the background,, Feb. 7, 2023. Photo by Armando Franca / AP PARIS (AP) — A summer camp counsellor has accused Spanish police of using brute force against her during the removal of a group of French Jewish teenagers from a plane bound for Paris from Spain, French government ministers said Wednesday. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Ministers Aurore Berge and Benjamin Haddad met with the counsellor on Tuesday after French authorities last week contacted the CEO of the Spanish low-cost airline Vueling and the Spanish ambassador to France to determine whether the youngsters had been discriminated against on the basis of their religion. Forty-four minors and eight adult French passengers were kicked off flight V8166 from Valencia to Paris on July 23, for what Spanish police and the airline described as unruly behaviour. But the ministers said the counsellor, who asked to remain anonymous and is described as 'shocked,' disputed that account. They say she described the crew as hostile from the outset, saying a child briefly sang but stopped when asked, and claimed no behaviour warranted the group's removal or the Civil Guard's response. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'No action justified the disembarkation or the excessive and brutal use of force by the Civil Guard against the young woman, who has just been notified of 15 days of total incapacity to work,' the ministers said in a statement, adding that her testimony had been corroborated by other passengers on board. The Club Kineret association, which organized the summer camp, did not immediately answer requests from The Associated Press for direct testimonies from people who were removed from the plane. A Vueling spokesperson said the passengers were removed after the minors repeatedly tampered with the plane's emergency equipment and interrupted the crew's safety demonstration. A Civil Guard spokesperson said the plane captain ordered the group's removal at Valencia's Manises Airport after they repeatedly ignored crew instructions. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Berge and Haddad also lashed out at a statement from the Spanish Minister of Transport 'equating French children of Jewish faith with Israeli citizens, as if that somehow justified the treatment they received.' Spanish Transport Minister 'scar Puente has deleted a tweet from July 26 in which he called the minors 'Israeli brats.' 'At a time when antisemitic acts have been on the rise across Europe since the terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, in Israel, the ministers call on Vueling and the Spanish authorities to fully investigate and clarify the events,' Berge and Haddad said. 'We will never accept the normalization of antisemitism. We will always stand with our fellow citizens who suffer from antisemitic hatred, and we will never compromise.' Vueling has denied that the incident was related to the passengers' religion. Some Israeli news outlets reported that the students were Jewish and that their removal was religiously motivated, a claim that was repeated by an Israeli minister online. The Civil Guard spokesperson said the agents involved were not aware of the group's religious affiliation. Sunshine Girls Sunshine Girls Columnists MLB Tennis
Local France
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Local France
France steps closer to defining rape as lack of consent
The vote comes several months after a court in Avignon found a French man guilty of drugging his wife so he and strangers could rape her. The case drew renewed attention to the widespread crime of rape and the issue of consent. The bill passed this week redefines all sexual assaults - including rape - as "any non-consensual act". France's lower house of parliament approved a slightly different version of the bill in April. Advertisement Wednesday's vote is not the final legislative hurdle. A joint committee of senators and lower-house MPs is expected to draft a joint text prior to the final adoption of the law in both houses. "Consent is not saying no," said Equality Minister Aurore Berge, but "saying yes, an explicit yes, freely, without constraint or ambiguity". The vote is a "decisive step towards a genuine culture of consent", she added. The bill passed by both chambers defines consent as "free and informed, specific, prior and revocable", adding that it "cannot be inferred from the victim's silence or lack of reaction alone". France's current legal definition of rape defines it as "any act of sexual penetration... by violence, constraint, threat or surprise" but this bill would specify that there is "no consent" under these conditions. While Wednesday's vote shows an emerging consensus, some lawmakers and activists have expressed concerns about the change. Advocates say this will enable the law to better hold perpetrators accountable. But opponents say they fear the change will lead investigators to focus excessively on the victim's behaviour. Consent-based rape laws already exist in several European countries including Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden.
Malay Mail
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
France moves to enshrine consent at the heart of rape law
PARIS, June 19 — The French Senate passed a bill late yesterday that includes lack of consent in the country's criminal definition of rape, paving the way for its official adoption in the coming months. The vote comes several months after a court in Avignon found a French man guilty of drugging his wife so he and strangers could rape her. The case drew renewed attention to the widespread crime of rape and the issue of consent. The bill passed this week redefines all sexual assaults — including rape — as 'any non-consensual act'. France's lower house of parliament approved a slightly different version of the bill in April. Yesterday's vote is not the final legislative hurdle. A joint committee of senators and lower-house MPs is expected to draft a joint text prior to the final adoption of the law in both houses. 'Consent is not saying no,' said Equality Minister Aurore Berge, but 'saying yes, an explicit yes, freely, without constraint or ambiguity'. The vote is a 'decisive step towards a genuine culture of consent', she added. The bill passed by both chambers defines consent as 'free and informed, specific, prior and revocable', adding that it 'cannot be inferred from the victim's silence or lack of reaction alone'. France's current legal definition of rape defines it as 'any act of sexual penetration... by violence, constraint, threat or surprise' but this bill would specify that there is 'no consent' under these conditions. While yesterday's vote shows an emerging consensus, some lawmakers and activists have expressed concerns about the change. Advocates say this will enable the law to better hold perpetrators accountable. But opponents say they fear the change will lead investigators to focus excessively on the victim's behaviour. Consent-based rape laws already exist in several European countries including Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden. — AFP * If you are experiencing sexual violence, the following hotlines offer free and confidential support: Talian Kasih at 15999 or WhatsApp 019-2615999 (24/7); All Women's Action Society at 016-2374221/016-2284221 (9.30am-5.30pm); and Women's Aid Organisation (WAO) at 03-30008858 or SMS/WhatsApp TINA 018-9888058 (24/7)
Khaleej Times
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
France steps closer to defining rape as lack of consent
The French Senate passed a bill late on Wednesday that includes lack of consent in the country's criminal definition of rape, paving the way for its official adoption in the coming months. The vote comes several months after a court in Avignon found a French man guilty of drugging his wife so he and strangers could rape her. The case drew renewed attention to the widespread crime of rape and the issue of consent. The bill passed this week redefines all sexual assaults -- including rape -- as "any non-consensual act". France's lower house of parliament approved a slightly different version of the bill in April. Wednesday's vote is not the final legislative hurdle. A joint committee of senators and lower-house MPs is expected to draft a joint text prior to the final adoption of the law in both houses. "Consent is not saying no," said Equality Minister Aurore Berge, but "saying yes, an explicit yes, freely, without constraint or ambiguity". The vote is a "decisive step towards a genuine culture of consent", she added. The bill passed by both chambers defines consent as "free and informed, specific, prior and revocable", adding that it "cannot be inferred from the victim's silence or lack of reaction alone". France's current legal definition of rape defines it as "any act of sexual penetration... by violence, constraint, threat or surprise" but this bill would specify that there is "no consent" under these conditions. While Wednesday's vote shows an emerging consensus, some lawmakers and activists have expressed concerns about the change. Advocates say this will enable the law to better hold perpetrators accountable. But opponents say they fear the change will lead investigators to focus excessively on the victim's behaviour. Consent-based rape laws already exist in several European countries including Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden.
