France investigates death of streamer over concerns of 'horrifying' violence

Published on 20/08/2025 - 13:08 GMT+2

An investigation has been launched successful France into nan decease of a 46-year-old man who livestreamed videos of himself being subjected to maltreatment and violence.

Raphael Graven — who went by Jean Pormanove aliases JP online — was known for streaming utmost challenges and had built a pursuing of much than 1 cardinal group crossed various societal media platforms, including nan live-streaming work Kick.

French prosecutors said he died connected Monday astatine a spot successful nan colony of Contes, adjacent Nice, according to section media.

Graven had reportedly been subjected to unit and slumber deprivation for 10 days during his streaming.

Footage shared connected societal media showed respective men choking and beating Graven. In 1 video, nan men noticed that Graven appeared lifeless while lying connected a mattress and quickly trim nan broadcast. The videos could not beryllium independently verified by Euronews.

Clara Chappaz, France's integer affairs and artificial intelligence (AI) minister, said that "the decease of Jean Pormanove and nan unit he suffered are an absolute horror".

"Jean Pormanove was humiliated and mistreated for months unrecorded connected nan Kick platform. A judicial investigation is underway," she wrote connected X.

Sarah El Haïry, France's precocious commissioner for children, said his decease was "horrifying".

"Platforms person an immense work successful regulating online contented truthful that our children are not exposed to convulsive content. I telephone connected parents to beryllium highly vigilant", she wrote connected X.

Kick said it was "urgently reviewing" circumstances astir nan streamer's death.

"We are profoundly saddened by nan nonaccomplishment of Jeanpormanove and widen our condolences to his family, friends and community," a spokeperson said.

"Kick's organization guidelines are designed to protect creators, and we stay committed to upholding these standards crossed our platform."

Many societal media users drew parallels betwixt Pormanove's decease and nan British dystopian anthology show Black Mirror.

In a caller episode, a man harms himself connected a livestreaming level successful return for costs from viewers successful bid to money life-saving curen for his sick wife.