French Prosecutors Seek Warrants for Kick Executives Over Livestream Death

French prosecutors have escalated their investigation into the livestreamed death of a content creator by requesting arrest warrants for executives at Australian streaming platform Kick, marking a significant development in a case that has exposed the darker side of digital entertainment platforms.Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau announced Tuesday that she was seeking warrants for Kick managers who failed to respond to summons for questioning in the investigation surrounding the August 2025 death of Raphael Graven, known online as Jean Pormanove. Sources close to the case indicate the executives are currently in Australia.The development coincided with the detention of two French streamers, Owen Cenazandotti, 26, and Safine Hamadi, 23, who shared a 200,000-follower channel with the deceased. The pair face charges including assault, incitement to hatred, abuse of a vulnerable person, and recording and broadcasting violent images, according to Damien Martinelli, chief prosecutor in Nice.Graven's death on August 18 followed what prosecutors describe as a 12-day live marathon of physical and verbal abuse broadcast to thousands of viewers. The 46-year-old died during a livestream in which he and another individual were struck and insulted by their younger colleagues, though an autopsy ruled out third-party intervention as a cause of death.The case has sent shockwaves through France's digital landscape and prompted government intervention. French ministers announced separate legal action against the Australia-based Kick platform in August, while Paris prosecutors opened their own investigation into the company's operations.This investigation predates Graven's death, with prosecutors first opening a probe in December 2024 after encountering footage showing him being insulted, struck, having his hair pulled, and shot with paintball guns. All three streamers were initially detained in January 2025 but released after claiming the violence was performative, designed to "create buzz so as to earn money."The case highlights growing concerns about content moderation and platform responsibility in the rapidly expanding live-streaming industry, where the pursuit of viewer engagement can lead to increasingly extreme content. The international nature of the investigation, spanning French creators and an Australian platform, underscores the complex jurisdictional challenges facing regulators in the digital age.Source: France24