Anonymous letters… poison-pen” or sword of justice: the France that informs” | M6 | Zone Interdite

Who are the citizens who denounce their neighbours, their colleagues, their friends and sometimes even their relatives? And why is it that one day they turn informer? Although some are driven by a real thirst for justice, others admit their motives are far less noble: jealousy, desire to hurt, and the lure of gain. They prefer to scheme in the shadows and remain hidden because in France the practice of informing is often shameful and associated with the darkest hours of her history. We investigated several cases of anonymous letters and slanderous informing: “poison-pen” writers who sometimes destroy the lives of their victims. For the last ten years, in a village in the north of France, one informer has been rattling off a stream of anonymous letters, denouncing an unfaithful husband, a girl of loose morals or the shameful past of the Mayor. Letters that sow doubt and suspicion in the families that are targeted. Thanks to the contributions of victims and handwriting analysis of these letters we attempted to unmask the informer. In Paris, we followed a concierge who fully accepts her role as “grass”. Lying in ambush behind the curtain of her lodge, she keeps daily watch for the slightest misdeed by the residents of her building. And if they don’t follow the rules to the letter, she writes to the town hall giving the names of the troublemakers. So the residents have to watch out. But it also happens that certain people inform on others without any proof, just out of self-interest. Such was the case of Christopher, 23. In order to get a reward, he accused two men who ended up in prison because he declared that they had fired on the police during the riots at Villiers-le-Bel in 2007. He now states that he lied because of the lure of money. But he fears reprisals and wants to retract before the courts. Finally, we went to South Korea, where the school for informers is enjoying a resounding success. Students learn how to track down fraudsters and, above all, to inform on them. Because the State offers rewards to citizens who denounce crimes. Some people have even made a career of it: they can earn as much as 15,000 Euros a month.