Paris (AP) - In a shocking case that sent shockwaves through the country, a French juvenile court has convicted six teenagers for their involvement in the beheading of a teacher by an Islamic extremist. The verdict comes after teacher Samuel Paty was gruesomely killed outside his school in 2020 for showing his class cartoons of the prophet of Islam during a debate on free expression.

The court found five of the defendants, who were 14 and 15 years old at the time of the attack, guilty of staking out the teacher and identifying him for the attacker. Additionally, another defendant, who was 13 at the time, was found guilty of spreading false information about the classroom debate, which aggravated online anger against the teacher.

All six defendants, who were students at Paty's school, maintained that they were unaware that the teacher would be killed. Despite this, they were sentenced to brief or suspended prison terms. As part of their suspended terms, they will be required to stay in school or jobs and undergo regular medical checkups.

The tragic incident occurred on October 16, 2020, in a Paris suburb when the attacker, Abdoullakh Anzorov, a young radicalized Chechen, fatally attacked Paty. The five defendants who identified Paty to the attacker were convicted of involvement in a group preparing aggravated violence.

In a significant twist, the sixth defendant falsely claimed that Paty had asked Muslim students to leave the classroom before showing the prophet cartoons. It was later revealed that she was not even present in the classroom that day and had lied. She was convicted of making false allegations.

The father of this defendant shared the fabricated information in an online video, calling for mobilization against the teacher. Both he and a radical Islamic activist who helped spread hateful messages against Paty will face a separate trial next year along with six other adults suspected of involvement in the killing.

The trial, held behind closed doors, adhered to French law regarding minors, prohibiting the disclosure of the defendants' identities by the media. This development follows another tragic school attack in northern France in October, where a teacher was fatally stabbed and three others injured by a former student suspected of Islamic radicalization.

In response to the escalating security concerns, French authorities have deployed an additional 7,000 soldiers across the country to enhance security and vigilance. The trial serves as a stark reminder of the challenges posed by extremists and the importance of maintaining a safe educational environment.