A 17-year-old boy has admitted to fatally stabbing another teenager in France after a social media dispute involving a girl spiralled into violence, prosecutors revealed.
The suspect, whose identity has not been disclosed due to his age, appeared before a court in Meaux near Paris on Monday and was remanded in custody on a charge of premeditated murder.
According to prosecutor Jean-Michel Bladier, the deadly incident took place at a camping site in Villevaude, on the outskirts of Paris, on Saturday night.
Investigators said the conflict began after a girl repeatedly rejected the suspect’s requests on TikTok, leading to a heated argument during a phone call.
The situation allegedly escalated when another 17-year-old — said to be the boyfriend of the girl’s close friend — challenged the suspect to a fight.
Prosecutors said the victim was later attacked by two individuals at the camping site and suffered a fatal stab wound to the chest.
The suspect was arrested later that same night after arriving at a suburban Paris hospital with a knife wound on his hand, which he initially claimed was caused accidentally.
During questioning, the teenager reportedly admitted he had gone to the camping site carrying a knife “to show he wasn’t afraid”.
However, he allegedly told investigators that he “lost his head” during the confrontation and did not intend to kill the victim.
Authorities also revealed that the suspect already had a juvenile criminal record involving violence against an older relative and weapons possession offences.
Police are still attempting to identify another individual believed to have accompanied the suspect during the attack.
The shocking case has reignited concerns in France over youth violence, social media-fuelled conflicts and the increasing involvement of teenagers in deadly crimes.
Another court hearing linked to the investigation is expected to take place on Thursday.
