French Court Backs Down – But This Woman Is Still Being Prosecuted for Telling the Truth

French Court Backflips on “Hate Speech” Sentence

French Court Backs Down – But This Woman Is Still Being Prosecuted for Telling the Truth

A French court has overturned a suspended prison sentence for activist Thaïs d’Escufon, but her legal battle continues as she seeks a complete acquittal on hate speech charges.

French courts have backtracked on a suspended prison sentence for a sexual assault victim accused of “racism.”

Charged with “hate speech”, prosecutors wanted to throw the book at Anne-Thaïs du Tertre d’Escoeuffant (Thaïs d’Escufon), a 27-year-old Catholic and Identitarian.

The charge goes back to 2023, when d’Escufon asserted on television that the rise in crimes against women was tied to mass immigration.

Immigration Comments Spark Criminal Charges

As the European Conservative (EC) recounted, D’Escufon, described as an “opinion leader,” made the comments “during a discussion about a rape involving an illegal immigrant.”

About which, D’Escufon said, “the main danger for women is immigrant men, Africans, blacks, and Arabs.”

According to other reports, she incensed DILCRAH (France’s ‘anti-racist’ bureaucratic watchdog), which later filed a complaint.

The complaint led to accusations of “inciting racial hatred”, charges and the prosecution pursuing hard after a 12-month sentence and a 45,000 EURO fine.

EC said D’Escufon thinks that “one of the central reasons she has become a target of legal action is her outspoken criticism of immigration.”

Being a target stems from her position as spokeswoman for Génération Identitaire (GI).

Seemingly based on ANTIFA talking points published in January 2021, the French chapter was forcibly dissolved in March 2021 by French President Emanuel Macron.

Macron appeared to use far-left fearmongering about the so-called “far-right” to ban the group and attempt to imprison its members.

This was apparently because GI had demonstrated against anti-white racism.

For context, GI states that its platform is primarily about advocating for secure borders, preserving humanity’s diverse ethnocultural identities, and raising concerns about cultural extinction vis-à-vis Islamisation.

Appeal Removes Jail Term but Upholds Conviction

The political connection D’Escufon makes between her potential prison sentence and GI appears justified.

She was eventually handed a six-month suspended prison term and a 3,000 EURO fine.

This is the ruling that was partially overturned on appeal last month.

The court backtracked, dropped the suspended sentence, and reduced the fine to 1,000 EURO.

However, D’Escufon’s lawyer, Loïc Lerate, said in a press release that the court still found her “guilty of public insult on grounds of origin, ethnicity, nation, race or religion.” (Read: “hate speech.”)

He refused to accept the decision, stating that they would now also be appealing the fine.

The court, he argued, “refused to recognise” that her remarks were devoid of any injurious intent, and were part of a debate.

D’Escufon’s statements also “fall within the strict framework of freedom of expression and Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights.”

Activist Vows to Keep Fighting for Acquittal

Sharing Lerate’s response on X, she thanked supporters for helping her “escape a firm prison sentence.”

Unpacking the process in a YouTube video, D’Escufon said, “I clearly felt the objective was to destroy me completely and send me to prison.”

“We have pushed back against this absurd justice system.”

“As soon as we expose their actions,” she added, “they can no longer hide. We are literally forcing them to answer for their policies.”

“The victims are ignored, the repeat offenders are protected, and it’s only when the case makes headlines that politicians finally decide to react.”

Expressing frustration with what she considers two-tier justice, D’Escufon noted the speed at which the justice system polices “hate speech.”

Yet, “when it comes to saving the lives of native French people, support is no longer such a priority, and there’s a lack of resources.”

Although the appeal comes with a risk of an even harsher sentence, she explained that with the massive amount of support behind her, the risk was worth it.

Consequently, D’Escufon said she is demanding “a complete acquittal.”

“I fully intend to fight back because, deep down, accepting their decision, not using every possible legal avenue, would be almost like resigning myself to the dominant narrative.”

“It would be admitting that I was wrong to denounce what threatens the French, accepting to carry a criminal record like a common delinquent.”

Especially when all “I did”, D’Escufon asserted, “was speak out to protect French women.”

“Accepting this sentence is complicity, and I refuse. It’s not me who should be prosecuted.”

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ODM Daily Commentary

Let’s be honest: France has become a country where telling the truth about crime statistics can land you in prison. And the case of Thaïs d’Escufon is exhibit A.

She was a sexual assault victim. She spoke out about a pattern she had observed: that immigrant men, particularly from Africa and the Arab world, were disproportionately responsible for crimes against women. For that, she was charged with “hate speech,” faced a 12-month prison sentence, and a 45,000 euro fine. Her crime? Stating a fact that the French establishment refuses to acknowledge.

The article documents the absurdity of the case. The court eventually dropped the suspended sentence and reduced the fine, but it still found her guilty. Her lawyer is appealing further, arguing that her remarks were part of a legitimate debate and protected by freedom of expression. But the fact that she was prosecuted at all is a sign of how far the West has fallen.

The political context is crucial. D’Escufon was a spokeswoman for Génération Identitaire, a group that Macron banned in 2021 using far-left fearmongering. The group’s platform is about secure borders, preserving cultural identity, and opposing Islamisation. In any sane society, these are mainstream concerns. In Macron’s France, they are grounds for prison.

The article highlights the two-tier justice system that d’Escufon has exposed. The state moves swiftly to punish “hate speech,” but when it comes to protecting native French women from crime, there are “a lack of resources.” The victims are ignored. The repeat offenders are protected. And the whistleblowers are prosecuted.

D’Escufon’s response is inspiring. She is refusing to accept the conviction. She is demanding a complete acquittal. She is using every legal avenue to fight back. And she is speaking out, even though it puts her at risk of an even harsher sentence.

Her message is clear: “It’s not me who should be prosecuted.” She is right. The criminals are the ones who should be in prison. The politicians who enable them should be held accountable. And the activists who expose the truth should be celebrated, not silenced.

This case is a warning to every Western nation. If France can prosecute a sexual assault victim for speaking the truth, no one is safe. If Macron can ban a group for opposing Islamisation, no one is free. If the state can weaponise “hate speech” laws to silence dissent, democracy is dead.

We stand with Thaïs d’Escufon. We support her fight for acquittal. And we refuse to accept a world where truth is a crime.

Telling the truth is not hate speech. It is the first duty of a free citizen.

— ODM Daily