Appeal Court Overturns Acquittal, Issues Suspended Sentence
Nearly seven years after the suicide of 11-year-old Evaëlle, her former teacher has been convicted on appeal. The Versailles Court of Appeal sentenced Pascale B., 63, to a one-year suspended prison term for moral harassment. The court found the former French teacher contributed to the deterioration of the middle school student’s living conditions, which ultimately led to her taking her own life. The defendant was absent for the verdict.
Pattern of Harassment Established
The court also found the teacher guilty of harassing another student. During the appeal, the prosecution had sought an 18-month suspended sentence, with the advocate general stating the teacher “crossed a red line, humiliating, belittling, and stigmatizing—not all students, but certain students chosen with care.” The defense had argued for acquittal.
The teacher, who had previously been acquitted by the Pontoise Correctional Court in 2025, denied any hostile behavior. “I sometimes responded sharply to students, but I never targeted a particular student,” she calmly testified. She is now permanently banned from teaching, having already ceased duties in 2020 due to judicial restrictions.
Parents See Justice in Overturned Ruling
The initial acquittal was appealed by both prosecutors and Evaëlle’s parents. Following the verdict, Evaëlle’s mother, Marie Dupuis, emotionally thanked the court for lifting “the veil on the mistreatment of children by teachers,” calling it a beginning. The family had long sought recognition of the harassment their daughter endured.
A Tragic Timeline of Bullying
Evaëlle took her own life in June 2019 after facing escalating problems since starting sixth grade at Isabelle-Autissier College in Herblay. She was victimized by peer violence and insults, as well as humiliation and exclusion by her French teacher.
The investigation revealed multiple students described Evaëlle as a recurrent target of the teacher, who made “many remarks” and “often shouted at her.” Testimony detailed a particularly damaging classroom session where the teacher encouraged students to voice complaints against Evaëlle, who was then compelled to explain herself. Witnesses said the teacher became angry with the crying student, demanding she answer questions.
The teacher defended the session as an attempt to “resolve relational problems in the class,” denying any intent to humiliate. Upon returning home that day, Evaëlle told her parents it had been “the worst day of her life.”
