Naruto and Safine stand trial in Nice over years of live-streamed abuse of Jean Pormanove before his death on Kick

Trial opens in Nice

Nearly a year after the death of Jean Pormanove, the two streamers who ran the channel where he was humiliated and abused on camera appeared before the Nice criminal court on Monday. Owen Cenazandotti, known as Naruto, 27, and Safine Hamadi, 24, face charges of group violence, abuse of weakness, dissemination of violent images, and incitement to hatred or violence. The trial does not concern Pormanove's death itself, as an autopsy found no third-party involvement and the investigation was closed in February.

You cannot judge the facts before you independently of the fact that Mr. Graven is dead.

The death of Jean Pormanove

Raphaël Graven, alias Jean Pormanove, died on 18 August 2025 at his home in Contes, near Nice, after 12 days of continuous live streaming, totalling 298 hours. During that broadcast, he was subjected to repeated humiliation and violence by Naruto and Safine. The autopsy revealed hyperthyroidism that may have caused heart problems, and no traumatic origin was found. The investigation into the death was closed without further action in February 2026.

A concept built on staged violence

The Lokal channel, which moved from Twitch to the Australian platform Kick after sanctions, gathered nearly 200,000 subscribers and averaged 20,000 viewers per nightly broadcast. Between 2023 and 2025, Naruto orchestrated lives from 9 p.m. to midnight from a studio in Contes. The format relied on provoking Jean Pormanove's anger for entertainment. Videos shown in court or described depict Pormanove and another participant, Stéphane G. (Coudoux), being slapped, kicked, whipped, hit with a baseball bat, insulted, and pelted with eggs and water.

It's a play, it's cinema, the goal is to get reactions. It's always in good spirits.

Naruto added that it was a shame to reduce the broadcasts to violence, suggesting regular viewers understood the context. Safine Hamadi told the court he was "not proud". Both maintain the violence was simulated and consensual, part of a money-making scheme where earnings were shared among participants.

Investigation and legal timeline

The case came to light at the end of 2024 when Mediapart published videos from the channel. An investigation was opened, and the two streamers were taken into custody in January 2025. They were released after arguing that all participants had agreed to the staged violence. Following Pormanove's death, they were again detained on 27 January 2026 and indicted on the current charges. The trial is expected to examine the treatment of Pormanove and two other victims, including a minor thrown onto Pormanove during a simulated wrestling match.

Lucrative streams

According to the Nice prosecutor's office, the videos generated substantial income. Between 2021 and 2025, Jean Pormanove received at least €140,000 from various platforms. Naruto earned nearly €460,000 between 2022 and 2025, while Safine collected over €200,000 in the same period.