Two French streamers received suspended prison sentences and six-month digital bans on August 5, 2026, following the death of 46-year-old Raphael Graven, who had been subjected to months of livestreamed abuse on the platform Kick. The court convicted the men of violence and incitement to hatred, though prosecutors confirmed his death was not caused by trauma.
Trial and Sentences Delivered by the Nice Criminal Court
The Nice criminal court handed down suspended prison terms and fines to two Internet personalities following an extensive judicial examination into online abuse and violence broadcast across fringe streaming channels. Owen Cenazandotti, known online as Naruto, received a two-year suspended prison sentence alongside a €15,000 fine. His co-streamer, Safine Hamadi, received an 18-month suspended prison sentence and must pay a €5,000 fine. In addition to the financial penalties and suspended jail terms, the court imposed a strict six-month digital ban preventing both men from publishing content on social networks and online platforms.
Prosecutors had originally pressed for tougher penalties, seeking 30 months of imprisonment for Cenazandotti—including one year to be served at home with electronic monitoring—alongside a €30,000 fine. For Hamadi, prosecutors requested an 18-month suspended sentence under probation with a €15,000 fine, coupled with a lifelong digital ban. The court ultimately issued lighter penalties after distinguishing between the behavior of the two defendants throughout the judicial proceedings. Unlike his co-defendant, Hamadi expressed remorse during the trial and acknowledged that part of the broadcasted content crossed acceptable boundaries.
The Staged Defense and the Reality of the Streams
Throughout the legal proceedings, the defendants maintained that the distressing content was entirely planned for entertainment value. Legal counsel for the streamers argued that the physical abuse and humiliations were scripted performances executed with the consent of Raphael Graven, who operated online under the alias Jean Pormanove. Prosecutors noted that Graven had accumulated approximately €265,000 from his streaming activities between 2021 and 2025.
Investigators examined thousands of hours of broadcasts initially hosted on Twitch before moving to Kick. Viewers regularly tuned in as Graven faced severe maltreatment, including being bound, struck, strangled, and doused with paint. A prior investigation published in December by French investigative outlet Mediapart detailed how audiences actively cheered on the abuse while hurling ableist insults in the chat.
“All those scenes are just staged, they follow a script.”
Yassin Sadouni, lawyer for one of the co-streamers
Medical Findings on Graven’s Death and Legal Scope
While the trial focused on the systemic maltreatment documented in the recordings, the court did not try the defendants for Graven’s death itself. Graven passed away in August 2025 near Nice during a livestream on Kick that had run continuously for more than 298 hours. Damien Martinelli, the prosecutor in Nice, stated that an autopsy performed confirmed the death was not caused by trauma or the immediate intervention of another person, though supplementary toxicological and medical tests were ordered. Consequently, the court acquitted the streamers of involuntary manslaughter and of exploiting Graven’s psychological vulnerabilities, resting the convictions strictly on group violence and public provocation to hatred.
Regulatory Pressure and Ongoing Investigations Against Kick
The tragedy prompted swift condemnation from French officials who targeted the governance of foreign streaming operators. Clara Chappaz, France’s deputy minister in charge of artificial intelligence and digital affairs, characterized the abuse as an absolute horror in a public statement. Officials emphasized that digital platforms operating within the country must enforce stringent moderation standards.
In response to the public outcry, authorities initiated wider legal actions. The Paris prosecutor’s office and the French digital regulator Arcom launched formal inquiries into the Australia-based streaming platform Kick. Court documents reveal that an information judiciaire was opened regarding allegations including the illicit provision of an organized online platform, money laundering in an organized gang, failure to assist a person in danger, and the widespread dissemination of violent imagery. Kick subsequently banned all co-streamers involved in the broadcast, stating that the company is fully cooperating with investigators as legal proceedings continue.
