Family of man killed in racist attack in France seeks justice

Investigations are ongoing in France after a man killed one person and wounded seven people in a racist attack on October 23rd. Prosecutors said the 39-year-old suspect admitted to targeting individuals who appear to be Muslim, African or North African. The family of Bengo Bosuwangi, the young black man killed in the attack, hopes for an awakening against racism in the country. Aujourd'hui, dans une France en proie à forte. Today, in a France gripped by intense identity-based tensions, I am afraid, as the father of black children, for their future, their safety, and for the place they will be able to occupy in French society. But despite our anger and our pain, Bengo's mother and I choose to place our trust in this country's justice system, and to seek justice for our son. As the child of African immigrants, I grew up in France in the 1980s and 90s, a time when racist attacks against North Africans and black people were sadly commonplace. And I never imagined that several decades later, my son, Bengo Bosuwangi, would lose his life at the hands of someone driven by the same hatred. I would take the hand of an individual animated by the same hate. The attack came with presidential elections just six months away and far-right leader Marine Le Pen leading opinion polls. The role of the media in platforming far-right views has also come under scrutiny. The people we're talking about here are French, and in the end, they're being dehumanized. They're turning to targets, into people who are seen as suspect, as illegitimate. People are pretty much being asked to justify why they're even in their own country. And seeing all these day-in, day-out, these constant conflations between a foreigner, an immigrant, a migrant, a French person, but who's a person of color. You just can't make sense of it anymore. And everyone makes these conflations. And for some people, it ends up serving as a justification to take action. What Kevin T. did, and that is extremely serious. On Thursday, the suspect was charged with murder, an attempted murder in connection with a terrorist enterprise. A national tribute to the victims is expected in the coming days.