Surge in Violent Crime and Homicides Shakes French Cities, Lyon Leading in 2025

French cities have witnessed a notable rise in homicides and violent incidents in 2025, with Lyon emerging as the city with the highest homicide rate, surpassing even Marseille. According to Prosecutor Thierry Dran, Lyon saw a 42% increase in homicides in 2024, a trend continuing into 2025 with 16 homicides and 58 attempted murders reported in just the first half of the year. Approximately half of these killings are linked to drug trafficking, which has escalated inter-gang conflicts following intensified police crackdowns, especially in areas like Villeurbanne where special units were created to address the violence. While juvenile delinquency has decreased overall, violent incidents among minors, including fatal knife fights, have increased, further highlighting the city's struggle with youth violence.

Adding to the gravity of youth violence nationwide, two 16-year-old teenagers were arrested in Essonne following the beating death of an 18-year-old near the Évry-Courcouronnes RER station. Prosecutor Grégoire Dulin indicated the suspects face charges of voluntary homicide and severe group violence amid investigations into potential inter-neighborhood conflicts.

In a separate case in Lyon, authorities secured the arrest of a 28-year-old Algerian man in Italy, suspected of involvement in the September killing of Ashur Sarnaya, a 45-year-old Iraqi Christian confined to a wheelchair who was stabbed during a TikTok live stream. Investigators are carefully considering religious motives, though they have not prioritized this theory. The arrest marks an important step forward, with planned transfer of the suspect to France to aid the complex inquiry.

These developments reveal a worrying trajectory of violence across French urban centers, with drug-related conflicts and youth violence posing ongoing challenges to law enforcement and public safety.