A French court has convicted two men of aggravated violence in connection with the death of Raphaël Graven, a 46-year-old internet personality who died during a live broadcast in August 2025. Safine Hamadi received an 18-month suspended prison sentence, while Owen Cenazandotti was handed a two-year suspended sentence. The court also ordered Hamadi to pay a fine of €5,000 (£4,283) and Cenazandotti to pay €15,000 (£12,848).
The investigation began after Graven, known online as Jean Pormanove, was found dead in the village of Contes, north of Nice. His final moments were broadcast on Kick, a streaming platform where Graven had built a following of over one million people across various social media accounts. The content frequently featured Graven undergoing extreme challenges, verbal humiliation, and acts of violence performed by other streamers.
During the trial, the defendants argued that the actions occurred with Graven’s consent. The court acquitted the men of abusing Graven's psychological frailty, noting that Graven had previously told police he consented to the stunts. Prosecutors did not seek manslaughter charges, stating that Graven’s death was likely linked to poor health and a fragile heart. The court also issued a six-month ban prohibiting both men from posting on the Kick platform.
For the broader digital community, the case highlights the legal boundaries of consensual violence in entertainment. Approximately one million followers of Graven’s accounts saw a shift from extreme performance to a fatal event, which was viewed live by an unspecified number of people on August 18, 2025. The ruling establishes that even if a participant claims to consent to physical abuse for a broadcast, the organizers can still be held criminally liable for aggravated violence if the stunts lead to injury or death.
The legal fallout continues as French authorities maintain an active investigation into the streaming platform Kick itself. Although Kick stated it was not a party to the criminal proceedings against the two creators, the outcome of the government's inquiry could dictate future moderation requirements or operational restrictions for streaming services in France. The specific dates for the conclusion of the investigation into the platform have not been reported.