French man punched a woman outside a Paris cafe – but the video went viral and now he’ll go to jail for six months

Attacker also ordered to pay €2,000 fine and undergo treatment for drug and alcohol addiction following July 25 incident

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Marie Laguerre's hair goes flying as her head is snapped back by a blow from her attacker, who had sexually harassed her outside a cafe in Paris on Tuesday July 24. Photo: YouTube

Published: 3:36pm, 5 Oct 2018Updated: 9:18pm, 5 Oct 2018

A man who punched a young woman outside a Paris cafe, prompting outrage after a video of the assault went viral, was sentenced to six months in prison and ordered to pay a €2,000 (US$2,300) fine by a French court on Thursday, lawyers said.

The video of the attack on student Marie Laguerre, which she posted on Facebook on July 25, boosted support for plans to punish sexual harassment on France’s streets with fines.

The court determined that the defendant, named only as Firas M, was responsible for his actions when he punched Laguerre.

The sentence also included a further six months suspended jail term. He will also have to undergo treatment for drug and alcohol addiction.

“My client wanted a punishment but she didn’t want his head to roll, she just wanted him to learn a lesson,” said Noemie Saidi-Cottier, Laguerre’s lawyer. “If he never does that again, she feels she has won.”

Marie Laguerre, in red at the top of screen, and her attacker cross paths outside a cafe in Paris on Tuesday July 24. Photo: YouTube