A normally tranquil seaside town on France’s Normandy coast was rocked by scenes of shocking violence last week after a gang of around 30 teenagers attacked a family-run restaurant in the middle of the night.
The owner, 60-year-old chef Elie Lebaïf, was stabbed in the buttocks and his wife, Isabelle, assaulted as they tried to defend their establishment, “La Promenade,” from the rampaging gang.
The incident took place shortly after midnight on July 16 in Jullouville, a popular resort town on the English Channel. According to Lebaïf, he was alerted by the sound of banging and breaking glass. Outside, dozens of teenagers — described as drunk, armed with knives, and between 15 and 18 years old — were hurling stones and attacking the restaurant’s windows and doors.
No further description of the attackers has been published.
“They broke everything: doors, tables, windows, chairs, menu racks,” the restaurant later wrote on its Facebook page. “They tried to destroy what years of labor had built.”
When the couple attempted to intervene, Isabelle was slapped in the face, and Elie was stabbed with a knife, resulting in a 10-centimeter-deep wound. “What hurts me the most are the kicks to the ribs and the head,” Elie told TF1 news, standing visibly wounded but back at work just three days after the attack.
Photos later showed bloodstained clothing and extensive damage to the premises.
According to the restaurant, the attack may have been an act of retaliation. Just days earlier, Elie had confronted the same group for throwing tables and chairs onto the nearby seawall. When he told them to leave, they fled upon the arrival of the police.
The gang returned in force on the night of July 16, “in packs,” the restaurant noted. “Because alone, they immediately feel less strong.”
The restaurant condemned the attackers and the broader social context that allowed the violence to unfold:
“They stabbed a man defending his restaurant. It happened in Jullouville, and it will not go unpunished.
This message has nothing to say. It is a scream. A cry of anger, of pain, but above all of dignity. An act of resistance against cowardice and the destruction of what is built with honesty and sweat, at a small beach resort in Normandy.”
The statement went on to describe how the chef, bleeding and injured, fought alone for 30 minutes until his son and son-in-law arrived to help him. The gang then reportedly fled. The couple later barricaded themselves inside until police arrived — though according to witnesses, the assailants even briefly confronted officers before escaping.
The post sharply criticized the French justice system, the sale of alcohol to minors, absentee parenting, and the failure of authorities to prevent such violence. “They are not worth the sidewalk they stomp on,” the restaurant wrote. “Not one is working. Spectres without purpose or honor, who spend their days hanging around, their nights getting drunk, and their frustration hitting those braver than them.”
Local mayor Alain Brière assured residents that the town’s 14 CCTV cameras, along with personal video footage taken that night, would help police identify those responsible. “The police will know the truth quite quickly,” he told TF1.
Despite the attack, the couple has returned to work, receiving an outpouring of support from residents, tourists, and fellow business owners. The restaurant remains open.
“The view of the sea is still so beautiful, even through a few broken windows, which will be replaced very soon. And our resolve is intact,” the statement concluded. We will not give in.”
The prosecutor’s office in Coutances has opened an investigation. As of now, no arrests have been made.
