Fifteen days after the serious assault on Yuriy Kruchenyk in Paris's 15th arrondissement, nine young men, including eight minors, have been placed under investigation.
They appeared before a magistrate on Saturday, as the public prosecutor opened an investigation for charges including attempted murder and complicity in attempted murder, daily Le Parisien reported.
The five facing the heavier charge have been remanded in custody.
Brutal attack
Yuriy was placed in an artificial coma after the attack by a hooded mob in the south-west of Paris. A video shared on social media shows the boy kicked and hit repeatedly with baseball bats as he lies on the ground.
The 15-year-old was coming home from school with fellow pupils when they were set upon. The others managed to flee the attack, but Yuriy fell over and the mob continued to beat him.
He has since has since emerged from his coma.
Gang violence suspected
Prosecutors say the incident may have been a revenge attack following another brawl five days earlier between rival gangs from 15th arrondissement and the neighbouring suburb of Vanves.
Police are seeking to establish if Yuriy, who was carrying a screwdriver at the time of his beating, is a member of one of the gangs, or an outsider caught up in the violence.
The French capital has seen an increase in violent crime in recent years. Figures from 2019, showed a 46 percent increase in assault compared with previous years.
