An 18-year-old French man suspected of planning attacks on women has been charged in the country's first case of a terror plot linked to the misogynist "incel" movement, officials said on Wednesday, July 2. According to a source close to the investigation, the suspect, Timothy G., was arrested on Friday by the DGSI domestic intelligence agency near a public high school in the southeastern city of Saint-Etienne.
According to sources close to the case, who spoke to Agence France-Presse (AFP), the suspect was arrested with two knives in his bag and identified himself as a member of the incel, or involuntary celibate, subculture. The incel movement is an internet subculture rife with misogyny, with men tending to blame women and feminism for their romantic failings. They typically target those whom they see as attractive or sexually active women.
The National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office (PNAT) said that an investigation was opened on Tuesday "against an 18-year-old man claiming to be part of the 'incel' movement." The man has been charged with criminal conspiracy to commit one or more crimes against individuals and has been taken into custody, the PNAT said.
Toxic and misogynistic influences online
On Tuesday evening, Timothy G. appeared before a judge who remanded him in custody. He looked shy and had an almost hairless face and a slender build, according to an AFP journalist. His lawyer, Maria Snitsar, described him as "a teenager who is suffering, not a fighter preparing for action."
According to one of the sources close to the case, the teenager, who wanted to become an engineer, was a fan of misogynistic videos on social media platforms, particularly on TikTok. A source close to the case also said that this is the first time the PNAT has been called upon to investigate a man who exclusively identifies as part of the incel subculture. The involvement of anti-terror prosecutors appears to indicate that French authorities recognize this form of gender-based violence as terrorism. The concept had previously appeared only marginally in at least two cases handled by the anti-terrorism prosecutor's office.
The hit Netflix series Adolescence has sparked widespread debate about the toxic and misogynistic influences to which young boys are exposed online. The hard-hitting show is set to be shown in UK and French schools, officials have said.