In Marseille, locals talk of a state of panic and terror gripping the city. Rival drug gangs are now using automatic weapons in their turf wars – and using teenagers too.
The number of children involved has risen sixfold in recent years. Many are forced into debt, beaten and threatened.
The city’s prosecutor called it a kind of slavery. Among the latest gang-related deaths, a fifteen year old boy was shot in the head and set on fire.
French police are carrying out what they call “bombardments” of certain areas, trying to drive the dealers out. But the trade is being amplified on social media – where drugs and gang jobs are routinely advertised.
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