Two Men Get Jail Terms for Paris Antigay Attack

Two men have received jail sentences for an attack on a gay man in Paris last year.

Wilfred de Bruijn, a Dutchman living in Paris, was walking arm in arm with his boyfriend on the way home from a party in April 2013 when a group of men approached them, saying, "Look, homos," and began beating them, reports Netherlands news site NL Times. De Bruijn suffered fractures in his jawbone and skull, plus a broken tooth. He posted in a picture of himself on Facebook soon after the assault, and the news spread globally. The incident was one of several instances of violence that occurred in France while the nation was debating a marriage equality bill, which eventually became law.

Two attackers, identified as Taieb B. (also known as Redouane) and Abdelmalik M., each received a sentence Tuesday of two and a half years in prison, although portions of their sentences were suspended, reports NL Times. A third man, Kide T., who did not join in the assault but stood by without assisting De Bruijn and his boyfriend, received a six-month suspended sentence.

Another Netherlands news source, Dutch News, reports that De Bruijn expressed satisfaction with the sentences because they demonstrate that France will not tolerate antigay attacks.