France, Oct. 27 -- Eight men and two women go on trial in Paris on Monday and Tuesday, accused of sexist online bullying of France's first lady Brigitte Macron.

The defendants are aged between 41 and 60. They include an elected official, gallery owner, teacher, medium and IT specialist.

They are accused of posting malicious comments online about Brigitte Macron's "gender" and "sexuality", and of comparing her age gap with her husband to "paedophilia", the Paris prosecutor's office said.

The investigation followed a complaint lodged by Brigitte Macron on 27 August 2024. It led to several waves of arrests in December 2024 and February 2025. Trial over online abuse

Investigators said they selected "only the most virulent" offenders. If c...