Protests in France: Teenager lost his testicles, where the police intervened harshly

Lawyer of a protestor who took part in anti-pension reform protests in France last week said doctors had to cut off the testicles of a man who was hit in the groin by a police officer during demonstrations.

According to the news in The Guardian, images circulating on the Internet after Thursday's demonstrations show that the police shot a man on the ground between his legs and then left. The man is seen with the camera in his hand.

The 26-year-old youth, whose name is stated in the French press as an engineer, said that while taking pictures during the clash between the demonstrators and the police, he allegedly collapsed to the ground by a police officer. The man said another officer hit him, targeting his groin with a stick.

Lawyer Lucie Simon said she had filed a complaint on behalf of her client for "voluntary violence leading to injury by a person of public authority".

“It was such a strong blow that one testicle had to be amputated,” the lawyer said, adding that the engineer is still in the hospital.

While the debate about the use of disproportionate force by the French police has been going on for a long time, Paris Police Chief Laurent Nunez ordered that the circumstances of the incident be investigated.