French father jailed over threat to behead teacher

A French court has sentenced a father to six months in prison without parole after he threatened to behead a teacher at his nine-year-old son's school in Le Fauga, in southwestern France.

The man confronted the 58-year-old teacher in the school car park last week after his son was moved to another class because of his behaviour. He also entered the school and made threats in front of the headteacher.

At a hearing in Toulouse on Thursday, the court ordered the sentence to be served immediately. The public prosecutor had sought six months under electronic monitoring.

Presiding judge Fabrice Rives said the threats were “extremely disturbing” and referred to an event that had remained in French public memory. The case came after the 2020 beheading of history and geography teacher Samuel Paty, who had shown pupils caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed.

The father must also complete a citizenship course within six months of his release and is banned for three years from contacting the teacher or entering the school. During the hearing, he apologised and said he had not realised the seriousness of his remarks. The teacher's lawyer, Jocelyn Momasso-Momasso, said his client was traumatised, on sick leave and unsure whether she would return to the classroom.