A court in Nice, France, has handed down suspended prison sentences to streamers Safine Hamadi and Owen Cenazandotti. The duo was convicted of inciting hatred and committing violence against fellow creator Raphael Graven during a live broadcast on the platform Kick.
The 18-month suspended sentence for Safine Hamadi
The Nice criminal court delivered its verdict on Wednesday, finding Safine Hamadi and Owen Cenazandotti guilty of violence and incitement to hatred. According to the report, Safine Hamadi received an 18-month suspended prison sentence alongside a €5,000 fine, while Owen Cenazandotti also received a suspended term. Both individuals are now prohibited from using social networks for a period of six months.
The legal proceedings focused on the treatment of 46-year-old Raphael Graven,who was subjected to humiliation and violence during a live stream. while the court found the defendants guilty of abuse, it did not hold Safine Hamadi or Owen Cenazandotti responsible for Raphael Graven's subsequent death, which the report attributes to the victim's fragile heart and poor health rather than the abuse itself.
Raphael Graven's €265,000 streaming earnings
The financial scale of the operation suggests a calculated approach to content creation designed to attract a specific audience. Prosecutors noted that Raphael Graven had earned approximately €265,000 from his streaming activities between 2021 and 2025. this figure underscores a growing trend where creators push boundaries—and often cross legal lines—to attract viewers on platforms with looser moderation than mainstream alternatives.
This case reflects a wider pattern of "shock streaming," where the monetization of degradation becomes a business model. By targeting fringe audiences, creators like Safine Hamadi and Owen Cenazandotti can generate significant engagement, though as this verdict shows, financial success does not grant immunity from criminal statutes regarding violence and hatred.
The investigation into Arcom and Kick
The incident has placed the streaming platform Kick and the French audiovisual regulator Arcom under intense scrutiny.. As the report indicates, both Arcom and Kick are currently under investigation to determine how such disturbing content was allowed to air without intervention. This case highlights a systemic failure in real-time moderation for live broadcasts.
The investigation into Arcom and Kick is part of a broader European effort to regulate digital spaces that operate outside the strict guidelines seen on platforms like Twitch or YouTube. The French government's focus on these entities suggests that the responsibility for harmful content is shifting from the individual creator to the infrastructure that profits from the broadcast.
The disputed 'scripted' nature of the violence
A central point of contention during the trial was whether the abuse was a consensual performance. Safine Hamadi and Owen Cenazandotti argued that the violence was staged and scripted with the consent of Raphael Graven. Although the Nice criminal court rejected this as a defense for the violence, it did acquit the pair of abusing Raphael Graven's psychological frailty, citing the victim's own statements to police prior to his death.
Despite the verdict, several questions remain regarding the oversight of the broadcast. It is unclear what specific moderation failures at Kick allowed the stream to continue in real-time, or if any other collaborators helped facilitate the "stunts." Furthermore, the report does not specify if the €265,000 in earnings were shared among the participants or solely kept by Raphael Graven.
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