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.”

https://www.tf1info.fr/justice-faits-divers/video-le-temoignage-du-couple-de-restaurateurs-de-la-manche-violemment-agresse-2383882.html

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.”