By Feïza Ben Mohamed
NICE, France (AA) – A retired French police officer accused of assaulting two high school girls wearing a headscarf will appear in court Wednesday to face charges, according to lawyers.
Footage of the attack, which occurred early this year in France's southern city of Montpellier, circulated widely on social media during the recent presidential election.
The trial comes about five months after the suspect was arrested in April.
The suspect is accused of assaulting the girls and targeting their religious belief in a park.
Lawyer Nabil Boudi told Anadolu Agency that the suspect directed “clearly objectionable remarks at the young girls" because their headscarf showed their religious affiliation.
The alleged aggression took place at a time when debate on the issue of the wearing of the veil and Islamophobia in France featured in many candidates’ campaign messages.
About 8% of France's population or around 6 million people are Muslims.
* Writing by James Tasamba in Kigali, Rwanda