Two French streamers handed suspended sentences in livestream death case

Two French streamers were given suspended prison sentences on Wednesday after a court found they subjected a man to days of violence and humiliation during his own live broadcast, apparently with his consent. The criminal court in Nice convicted Safine Hamadi and Owen Cenazandotti of violence against 46-year-old Raphael Graven, known online as Jean Pormanove, and of incitement to hatred over insults directed at him.

The two were not charged over Graven's death, since he died while he and his abusers were asleep, and the death appeared to be linked to his poor health. The incident, aired on the streaming platform Kick, shocked many in France last summer and highlighted disturbing content on fringe parts of the internet. Officials called for tighter regulation and stronger moderation, and the audiovisual and digital regulator Arcom, along with the Paris prosecutor's office, opened investigations into Australia-based Kick.

The streamers argued the violence and humiliation had been scripted and partly staged, and that Graven consented to everything. Hamadi expressed remorse during the trial. His lawyer, Tom Michel, said the conviction was mainly symbolic and that his client acknowledged responsibility, adding that part of the aired content was not acceptable and could not be consented to or scripted.

Hamadi received an 18-month suspended prison sentence and a €5,000 fine. Cenazandotti received a two-year suspended sentence and a €15,000 fine. Both were banned from posting on social networks for six months. The court did not find them guilty of manslaughter, after prosecutors said probable causes of death appeared related to Graven's poor health and fragile heart. They were also acquitted of abusing Graven's psychological frailty, as he had told police before his death that he consented to the stunts.

Prosecutors said Graven had earned about €265,000 from his streams between 2021 and 2025. Kick remains under formal investigation in the case, and an arrest warrant has been issued for some of its officers. Kick's legal representative in the European Union did not respond to a request for comment.