Twelve days of live harassment in exchange for money: the death of a former police officer shakes France.
The content creator had 500,000 followers and allowed himself to be attacked by others in exchange for donations.
BarcelonaThe French justice system is keeping an investigation open to clarify the causes of the death of a influencer while broadcasting live on Sunday night into Monday. Raphaël Gravin – known online as Jean Pormanove – was 46 years old and was known for hosting live streams on the Australian platform Kick, in which he appeared to be subjected to assault and harassment. He had over 500,000 followers.
The content creator's death occurred during a live stream, which had been running for twelve days, in which other streamers – known as Naruto and Safine – attacked him according to the audience's demands. Users were the ones who indicated what they wanted done to him in exchange for monetary donations. The grotesque spectacle ended with Gravin's death while he slept during the live broadcast. An image that was seen by thousands of viewers, until the other two participants noticed and disconnected from the broadcast.
Although the images were removed from the internet, the French audiovisual content authority (Arcom) denounced this Friday the decision by the Kick platform to reopen the channel where the scene was broadcast. In addition, the newspaperRelease has reported that footballers Bradley Barcola (PSG) and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Marseille) had made brief appearances in the broadcast in which the death subsequently occurred. On the other hand, the andinfluencers Naruto and Safine, who were present during the incident, were arrested and released without charge.
Despite the constant attacks, the Nice Prosecutor's Office issued a statement on Thursday explaining that Gravin did not die from the blows. The autopsy performed indicates that the death was not caused by trauma, nor was it caused by another person. In fact, "everything points" to medical or toxicological causes, according to the statement.
Demanding accountability on the platform
French Secretary of State for Artificial Intelligence and Digitalization, Clara Chappaz, indicated on Tuesday that, beyond the judicial proceedings to clarify the facts, she has already requested the intervention of Pharos, the public platform for reporting illegal content and behavior online, and Arcom. In a message on her X account, she stressed that "the death of Jean Pormanove and the violence he suffered are an absolute horror" and denounced that the content creator had been humiliated and mistreated live on the Kick platform for months.
Chappaz also said he had contacted Kick to hold them accountable for the content they allow to be shared, warning that this type of behavior "has no place in France or in Europe." "Under the European Digital Services Regulation (DSA), the largest platforms also have a responsibility to address systemic risks, such as the protection of minors, public health, and personal safety. Investigations are ongoing into some of them. Their cases must be pursued," he explained in another message.
A similar case in Catalonia
Gravin's case isn't an isolated one. There are other users on Kick who inflict self-harm in exchange for donations. One of them is Simón Pérez, a renowned real estate agent who in 2017 recorded himself and his partner under the influence of cocaine (as they later admitted) discussing fixed-rate mortgages. Now, from Vilanova i la Geltrú, he broadcasts live streams on the platform, humiliating himself in exchange for money he spends on illegal substances.