Hundreds gather in Cantal to honour Caroline Grandjean one year after suicide linked to homophobic harassment

Memorial march in Aurillac

Around 200 people gathered on Saturday in the centre of the Cantal prefecture to commemorate Caroline Grandjean, a 42-year-old primary school teacher who died by suicide on 1 September 2025 following sustained homophobic harassment. The gathering was led by her widow, Christine Paccoud, alongside former colleagues, friends, and former pupils. Participants walked through the town to the sound of Grandjean's favourite music while carrying flowers and tributes. Paccoud expressed gratitude for the public support during the procession.

Seeing so many people helps me. Having words, having support, knowing that I am not alone.

The gathering drew local residents as well as colleagues from across the education community. Myriam Pabka, a primary school teacher and close friend of the couple, spoke about the emotional strain experienced over the past twelve months.

The circumstances are difficult, Caroline Grandjean was someone who was full of life, it is still difficult. During the past year, I was in survival mode, in automatic mode.

Harassment and initial investigation in Moussages

Grandjean was targeted beginning in September 2023 because of her sexual orientation while teaching in Moussages, a village in the Cantal department with approximately 200 residents. Hostile homophobic graffiti was discovered directly on the walls of the local school, equating homosexuality with paedophilia. Law enforcement opened an inquiry into the harassment following the discovery of the graffiti. However, judicial authorities closed the investigation in March 2025 without identifying a suspect or filing charges.

Following the harassment, Grandjean was placed on sick leave from her teaching position. Educational authorities later offered her a reassignment to another post situated a few kilometres from Moussages for the start of the academic year. She remained unable to resume teaching duties before taking her life on 1 September 2025.

Institutional acknowledgment and community reaction

The death of the teacher prompted widespread sorrow and reactions across the French education sector. Virgile Leclerc, who was elected as the new mayor of Moussages in March 2026, attended Saturday's gathering to show solidarity with the victim's family and condemn the hostility.

What I condemn today is injustice: whether it is homophobia or racism, for me it is human stupidity.

In early February 2026, the French Ministry of National Education formally acknowledged an institutional failure in its handling of the case after concluding an internal administrative investigation into the circumstances surrounding Grandjean's working conditions and death.

Unresolved search for the perpetrator

Legal representatives for Grandjean's family stated that the administrative admission marked only the first stage of their pursuit of accountability. Stéphane Juillard, the lawyer representing Christine Paccoud, attended the gathering and noted that the state's acknowledgment of responsibility fulfilled their initial legal objective.

According to Juillard, the focus of the legal effort now turns to identifying the anonymous individual responsible for the targeted harassment campaign. The lawyer emphasized that uncovering the identity of the author of the school graffiti remains the main unresolved goal for the family and their legal counsel.