Two people convicted in relation to death of French streamer

BBC World NewsUpdated Aug 7, 2026, 12:51 AM

Raphaël Graven, 46, died in August 2025, with his death live broadcast on the streaming platform Kick.

Two people in France have been convicted of aggravated violence, following an investigation into the death of a French streamer known for extreme challenges.

Raphaël Graven, 46, died in a village near Nice in August 2025. His death was live broadcast on the streaming platform Kick.

The internet personality was routinely subjected to humiliation and abuse in his content, which the convicted men, Safine Hamadi and Owen Cenazandotti, said occurred with his consent.

Hamadi and Cenazandotti have each been issued suspended prison sentences for their role in Graven's death, and ordered to pay fines of €5,000 (£4283) and €15,000 (£12,848) respectively.

Neither man was charged with the manslaughter of Graven, also known as Jean Pormanove, after the prosecution said probable causes of death appeared to be related to his poor health and fragile heart.

The court also acquitted them of abusing Graven's psychological frailty, as he had told police prior to his death that he had consented to the stunts, Hamadi's lawyer told Reuters.

Hamadi, who expressed remorse during the trial, received an 18-month suspended prison sentence. Cenazandotti received a two-year suspended prison sentence.

Both men have been banned from posting on Kick for six months.

Kick, the streaming platform, remains under investigation by French authorities. In a statement to the New York Times on Thursday, it said it was not a party to the proceedings against Hamadi and Cenazandotti, and had no comment on the outcome.

It added: "The ruling relates solely to two individual content creators."

Graven had more than one million followers across his various social media platforms and had built a strong community on Kick.

During broadcasts on the platform, other streamers would regularly subject the 46-year-old to acts of violence and verbal humiliation.

Graven was found dead in Contes, a village north of Nice, in August 2025. Local media at the time reported that a livestream on 18 August showed the man lying lifeless on a mattress covered with a duvet.

The video has since been removed from Kick.