Father and son convicted for beating teen over stolen zamal; 7.7 kg seized
A 66-year-old man and his 29-year-old son were convicted by the Saint-Denis criminal court for tying up and beating a 14-year-old boy who tried to steal cannabis plants from their courtyard in Saint-André, Réunion. Police also found 7.7 kg of cannabis herb on the property; the father received 18 months suspended with probation and the son 12 months simply suspended.
A 66-year-old man and his 29-year-old son stood trial for violence against a
minor under 15.[1]The assault dates to 27 April 2026 at about 21:00 in
Saint-André, where Joseph F. was watching his cannabis crop after repeated
thefts.[1]His son Bryan, 29, caught one of the two boys while the other fled.[1]The father tied the 14-year-old from head to foot and struck him about
thirty times with a wooden stick, while his son filmed the scene and published
it on Facebook.[1]The boy’s family filed a complaint after the video spread
on social media.[1]The boy was left with trauma and two days of total work
incapacity.[1]
Police officers also found 7.7 kg of cannabis herb on the property.[1]The
father told the court the cannabis grew by itself and was for his own
consumption.[1]The prosecutor described the assault as a settling of scores
committed for a futile and lucrative motive, with no remorse from the
defendants.[1]
Neither man was defended by a lawyer.[1]The tribunal found both men guilty,
giving the father 18 months in prison with probationary suspension and the son
12 months with simple suspension.[1]Both prison terms were suspended, so no
firm custodial time was ordered.[2]Four people were placed in police custody
over the incident.[3]The Saint-Denis prosecutor confirmed the two men would
be summoned before the criminal court for aggravated violence.[4]The two
minors were to be summoned before the children’s court over the attempted theft.[4]
Case data
Every number and detail the sources state, with the sources that state it.
Arrested
4
Charged
2
Convicted
2
Sentenced
2
Cannabis
7.7 kg
Prison
18 months with probationary suspension (father); 12 months with simple suspension (son)
Journal.rejournal.reFRÀ Saint-André, un ado de 14 ans ligoté et frappé pour quelques pieds de zamal
LINFO.relinfo.reFRSaint-André : ligotés et frappés, les voleurs punis par les propriétaires
LINFO.relinfo.reFRSaint-André : ils frappent un voleur qui s'est introduit chez eux, les propriétaires convoqués devant la justice
Open questions the AI reported
The article gives no separate date for the hearing; 12 November 2026 is the publication date of both trial accounts and is used as the date of the verdict.
LINFO.re reported on 28 April 2026 that both boys were retained and beaten, while the later accounts say one was caught and beaten and the other fled; the later version is used here.
No number of cannabis plants, area under cultivation or value for the 7.7 kg was published.
It is not stated whether the 7.7 kg came from the growing crop or from stored harvest.
No outcome was reported for the two minors' case before the children's court.
Whether either man appealed the sentence was not reported.
Customs officers at Roland-Garros airport arrested a 20-year-old man arriving from Paris on 10 September 2026 with 37 kg of cannabis resin and 15 kg of cocaine. The court later found him guilty and sentenced him to five years in prison with continued detention and a five-year ban from Réunion.
The Saint-Denis appeal court raised the sentences of three of four men who ran zamal from Réunion to Mauritius between July 2023 and April 2025. The former chief of staff of the Sainte-Suzanne mayor and a second defendant drew seven years each, a third five years; the fourth term stayed at four years.
The Saint-Denis criminal court convicted all twelve defendants in the Réunion–Mauritius zamal trafficking case on 12 June 2026, jailing former Sainte-Suzanne chief of staff Bertrand de Boisvilliers for four years. Laurent Mariaye drew five years, and investigators tied the network to 147 kg of cannabis seized aboard de Boisvilliers's boat.
The Saint-Denis correctional court sentenced a 43-year-old British former English teacher to two years in prison with continued detention on 10 June 2026, after customs found 16.5 kg of cannabis herb in his luggage on arrival from Bangkok. The court rejected his account that he believed he was carrying computer servers, and he also faces a 214,500-euro customs fine.
