Boy ‘stabbed 50 times’, burned alive in suspected drug turf war in France
Al Jazeera
Prosecutor says slain teenager in the city of Marseille was allegedly hired by a 23-year-old prisoner to intimidate a member of a rival gang.
A 15-year-old boy was “stabbed 50 times” and burned alive earlier this week in southern France, in an apparent case of drug-related violence that appeared to be linked to a second murder case, according to prosecutors in the city of Marseille.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Marseille prosecutor Nicolas Bessone said the teenager was murdered on Wednesday, describing the case as one of “unprecedented savagery”.
Marseille, France’s second-largest city but also one of its poorest, has been plagued in recent years by drug-related violence described in the French media as “narco-homicide”.
The city has in recent years witnessed a turf war for control of the highly profitable drug market between various clans, including DZ Mafia.
According to Bessone, the slain teenager had been hired by a 23-year-old prisoner to intimidate a competitor by setting fire to his door, adding that he had been promised 2,000 euros ($2,200).
