The man who punched a woman outside a Paris cafe in an incident that was captured in an outrage-inducing viral video has been sentenced to six months in prison.
The man, Firas M., was sentenced Thursday for the July attack on student Marie Laguerre. The attack helped push passage of a bill to punish sexual harassment on the streets of France.
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The video shows Laguerre being attacked by the man after she told him to “shut up” after he made lewd noises at her outside a Paris cafe.
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The attack happened in front of about a dozen people. At least two men and a woman are seen confronting the man before walking away.
Laguerre was able to gain access to the CCTV footage of the attack and posted the video on Facebook.
“This is an unacceptable behavior. It happens every day, everywhere and I don’t know a single woman who doesn’t have a similar story. I am sick of feeling unsafe waking in the street. Things need to change, and they need to change now,” Laguerre wrote.
READ MORE: French lawmakers want catcallers to face fines for harassment
As a result of the bill that was passed during the summer, catcallers and street harassers will face an immediate fine of 750 euros (about C$1,131).
Following the sentencing, Laguerre’s lawyer said it was a small victory.
“My client wanted a punishment but she didn’t want his head to roll, she just wanted him to learn a lesson,” the lawyer said. “If he never does that again, she feels she has won.”
The man was also ordered to pay a 2,000-euro fine and to undergo treatment for drug and alcohol addiction.
–with a file from Reuters
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