French Streamers Convicted Over Abuse Preceding Kick Death

French Streamers Convicted Following Abuse and Death of Raphaël Graven

The defendants, Owen Cenazandotti and Safine Hamadi, were found guilty of inflicting violence on Raphaël Graven—who was known online as Jean Pormanove or JP—and of incitement to hatred for insults directed at him, according to a lawyer for one of the accused. Graven died on August 18 during a livestream following what prosecutors described as a 12-day marathon of abuse.

Cenazandotti received a two-year suspended prison sentence and was ordered to pay a €15,000 fine, while Hamadi received an 18-month suspended prison sentence and must pay a €5,000 fine. Both men were also banned from posting on social networks for six months.

Trial Findings and the Streaming Platform Controversy

During the trial, the defendants maintained that the violence and humiliations were scripted and partly staged, asserting that Graven had consented to everything. Hamadi expressed remorse during the proceedings. Tom Michel, a lawyer representing Hamadi, stated, The conviction is mainly symbolic. We are satisfied with the ruling, adding that his client acknowledged responsibility and recognized that part of the content they aired was not acceptable and could not be consented to or scripted.

The court did not charge the streamers with manslaughter. According to the prosecution, Graven’s death—which occurred while he and his abusers slept—appeared to be due to poor health and a fragile heart rather than third-party intervention or trauma. An autopsy conducted following his death ruled out the intervention of a third party, though additional medical and toxicological analyses were ordered. The court also acquitted the men of abusing Pormanove’s psychological frailty, noting that he had previously told police he consented to the stunts. Prosecutors stated that Graven had netted approximately €265,000 from his streams between 2021 and 2025.

Broader Regulatory Backlash and Investigation Into Kick

The case shocked many in France, drawing fierce condemnation from government officials regarding fringe trash streaming content where participants are subjected to physical assaults or humiliation for viewer donations. Clara Chappaz, France’s deputy minister in charge of artificial intelligence and digital affairs, described the abuse as an absolute horror in a post on X, emphasizing that platform responsibility regarding illicit content is mandatory under the law.

The audiovisual and digital regulator Globalbankingandfinance and the Paris prosecutor’s office opened investigations into RFI following the incident. Judicial authorities placed the platform under formal investigation, and an arrest warrant has been issued for some of its officers.

Kick defended its position, stating that the platform had been subjected to a politicized narrative taking advantage of a tragic personal loss rather than focusing on industry safety. The platform stated that it cooperated fully with authorities, removed content showing Graven’s death, and suspended related accounts pending investigation.