An investigation has been launched into the “horrifying” death of a French online streamer known for taking part in extreme challenges.
Raphael Graven, who went by Jean Pormanove, was found dead in Contes, near Nice, on Sunday night, prosecutors said.
The 46-year-old was live streaming on the live video streaming platform Kick, when viewers raised concerns about him lying unconscious on a mattress.
Mr Graven was known for taking part in videos in which he suffered violence, alongside two colleagues, according to French newspaper Le Monde. One man was seen throwing a water bottle at him as he laid on the mattress.
He had been living in rented accommodation at the time of his death for the purpose of broadcasting internet live streams.
French government minister Clara Chappaz described Mr Graven's death and the violence he endured as an "absolute horror", adding he had been "humiliated" for months.
A spokesperson for Kick — which emerged as a competitor to Twitch — told the BBC the company was "urgently reviewing" circumstances around the streamer's death.
They expressed their ‘sadness’ at the loss of Jean Pormanove and extended their “condolences to his family, friends and community.”
Platform guidelines were “designed to protect creators” and it was “committed to upholding these standard across our platform” the spokesperson added.
Chappaz said the issue had been referred to Arcom, the French media regulator, and Pharos, a French system used to report online content.
Sarah El Haïry, France's High Commissioner for Children, described the death as “horrifying”.
She wrote on X: “Platforms have an immense responsibility in regulating online content so that our children are not exposed to violent content. I call on parents to exercise the utmost vigilance.”
Graven had more than one million followers across social media and was particularly popular on Kick, which was founded in 2022.
Kick is known for having looser moderation and offers creators a higher share of revenue.
