Jean Pormanove, a 46-year-old father, died Sunday in the village of Contes, north of Nice, France. To the world at large, his name online was Raphael Graven. His death has led prosecutors to demand an autopsy and begin an investigation into the circumstances of his death. Pormanove was an active user on Kick, a new live-streaming platform. He came to prominence by starring in videos where co-streamers committed acts of gay porn-style assault and public humiliation, all while audiences watched in real-time.
French media only published from long videos. These videos document the extreme violence that Pormanove faced, having been punched, cursed at, choked, and soaked in paint and oil. Included in those clips were videos showing him being shot with a paintball gun. It remains a question whether Pormanove actively sought to do any of these things. Or was he actually made to play such horrible offensive material? Those questions about the veracity of what’s happening in those videos remain. What we don’t know is whether they were genuine or manufactured.
Yassin Sadouni, attorney for one of the abusive co-streamers, on his client’s downloading of Pormanove’s abuse. He argued that Pormanove may have had underlying cardiovascular disease that could have been a contributing factor for his premature death. Sadouni said the violence depicted in the videos was scripted. He contended that it was just done in a comedic way.
“All those scenes are just staged, they follow a script.” – Yassin Sadouni
As Clara Chappaz, France’s junior minister for AI and digital technology, stated in her disgust over Pormanove’s death. She held a press conference condemning all the violence he suffered. She condemned what took place as “absolutely horrific.” Her remarks point to the broader consequences of content made for online streaming platforms. Yet they highlight that platforms have a responsibility to mitigate the spread of illegal or harmful material.
“The death of Jean Pormanove and the violence he suffered are absolutely horrific.” – Clara Chappaz
Following the incident, Kick Français released a statement promising to work with authorities. In addition to analysis, they are going through a detailed audit of their original French content. Kick is registered in Australia and functions this way to cut creators in on its revenue. Right now it’s getting blasted for its policies and practices that have put users’ safety in jeopardy.
The investigation into Pormanove’s death raises significant questions about the ethics of live-streaming platforms and the potential consequences for participants involved in extreme content. Federal authorities are keeping a closer eye on this case. We applaud their investigation, which underscores the critical need for stronger regulations to prevent people from predatory and toxic practices online.