French TV journalist puts colleague in place over death penalty comment

It was a TV moment to treasure, but one many will surely have missed, as a journalist on the all-news French digital channel i>Télé put a colleague firmly in place about his opinions on the death penalty.

i>Télé presenter Julian Bugier (screenshot from Le Post video on Dailymotion)

The two men in question were the co-presenter of the early evening show, Julian Bugier, and Robert Ménard, a columnist on the channel.

And the clear difference in opinion came just after a report on the trial of Thierry Devé-Oglou.

He was the man accused of the brutal murder and attempted rape in 2007 of 23-year-old Anne-Lorraine Schmitt.

On Wednesday a court found Devé-Oglou guilty and sentenced him to life imprisonment of which he has to serve at least 22 years, the maximum penalty for a crime of such a nature here in France.

Ménard, the founder of the French-based international non-governmental organisation Reporters sans frontières (Reporters without borders) took a moment at the end of the report to repeat the sort of comment he has made over the years on different occasions; namely his support for the death penalty.


"Julian, we have to regret sometimes that we no longer have the death penalty," Ménard said, bringing about an immediate response from Bugier that he didn't agree.

"Yes, but all the same..." began Ménard, who was quickly interrupted by the presenter who told him, "Nothing justifies the taking of life as far as I'm concerned. Thank you Robert."

Short, sweet and to the point. Exactly how it should be.

Bravo Julian Bugier.

And once again shame on you Robert Ménard, whose organisation (RSF) that fights for press freedom, currently carries an advertisement at the top of its site for Poster for tomorrow that reads "Death is not justice".

Capital punishment was abolished in France in 1981.


Quand Ménard regrette l'abolition de la peine de mort...
envoyé par LePostfr. - L'info video en direct.