Ten individuals are facing potential imprisonment for up to two years each following allegations of engaging in sexist cyberbullying against French First Lady Brigitte Macron. Seven of the accused, deemed as ‘trolls’, stood trial today for purportedly subjecting Ms. Macron to severe harassment that significantly impacted her physical and mental well-being.
The defendants, comprising one woman and six men, are charged with spreading false claims that the 72-year-old was born male and insinuating that she engaged in abusive behavior towards her husband, President Emmanuel Macron, when he was a child. If found guilty of cyberbullying Ms. Macron, all defendants could be sentenced to a maximum of two years in prison.
Although ten people were charged, three failed to appear at the commencement of their trial at the Paris Correctional Court on Monday. Amandine Roy, also known as Delphine Jegousse, a 53-year-old clairvoyant, was present at the trial. In a YouTube video from December 2021, Roy allegedly asserted that Ms. Macron, a mother of three, was born as a male named Jean-Michel Trogneux in 1953, which was actually her brother’s name. Roy also questioned the existence of Brigitte’s first husband, André-Louis Auzière, who reportedly passed away in 2020 at the age of 68.
During the ongoing criminal proceedings, Roy was accused of online harassment towards Brigitte Macron, leading to a significant deterioration in her physical and mental health. Ms. Macron did not attend the trial and was represented by her lawyer, Jean Ennochi. The defendants maintain their innocence, arguing that their freedom of speech is being violated due to criticism of a prominent figure in the Paris political scene.
The trial is centered on disparaging remarks regarding Brigitte Macron’s gender, sexuality, and the age gap between her and her husband, which has led to comparisons with pedophilia. A spokesperson for Paris prosecutors highlighted that on August 27th, Ms. Macron filed a cyberbullying complaint, an offense punishable by up to two years of imprisonment.
Among the accused is Aurelien Poirson-Atlan, known as ‘Zoe Sagan’ on social media. Juan Branco, Poirson-Atlan’s defense attorney, criticized the prosecution for allegedly politicizing the case and restricting free speech rights. Speculation and scrutiny have surrounded the Macron marriage due to its controversial origins, stemming from Emmanuel Macron’s infatuation with his drama teacher, Brigitte Auzière, when he was a student in 1992.
Despite persistent rumors and challenges faced by the couple, they eventually married in 2007, preceding Emmanuel Macron’s unexpected rise to the French presidency.