Florence Kingbo case: the defendant stands by her statements and defies the Court

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The young woman is charged by the Special Prosecutor’s Office with harassment via an electronic system, invasion of privacy, incitement to hatred and violence, as well as provocation to rebellion.

From the moment she appeared at the bar, the defendant’s attitude set the tone. Clearly chewing a gum, she prompted the public prosecutor to intervene. Questioned about this behavior deemed inappropriate, she replied insolently, claiming that no rule prohibited “eating” in the courtroom.

The scene sparked the first moment of tension in the courtroom.
The exchanges hardened further during the charging phase. When asked a classic question about the language she spoke, the TikTok influencer answered in a provocative tone, triggering the ire of the presiding judge. The judge had to admonish the defendant and order her lawyer, Mr. Aboubacar Baparapé, to restrain her.

On the merits, Kingbo Florence did not seek to dodge. She acknowledged the facts she is accused of, while adopting a posture deemed arrogant by the prosecution. She notably challenged what she sees as a variable treatment of justice, comparing the prosecutions brought against her to the absence of sanctions for hostile remarks toward former President Boni Yayi.

The defense, for its part, took, to say the least, a singular line. Attorney Baparapé argued the criminal irresponsibility of his client, citing a mental state incompatible with a conviction. A theory immediately rejected by the defendant herself, who stated that she was “neither crazy nor irresponsible,” even going so far as to mock her own counsel’s argument.

At the end of the proceedings, the public prosecutor requested a postponement to prepare its requisitions. The defense asked, in the meantime, for provisional release, arguing the need to “protect the defendant from herself” in a prison setting. The prosecutor opposed the request.

The Court ultimately postponed the case to Tuesday, March 24, 2026, the date set for the public prosecutor’s requisitions and the decision on provisional release.
The announcement of this postponement triggered another outburst from the defendant, who said she did not care about a possible rescheduling “even in 2030,” claiming to feel “very comfortable in prison.”

In response to this latest provocation, the presiding judge ordered her immediate removal from the courtroom.
For the record, Kingbo Florence has been in custody since December 18, 2025, after a viral video circulated on social networks in which she harshly attacked President Patrice Talon, described as a “tyrant,” as well as his wife and their son.

An emblematic case of the current tensions around freedom of expression and its limits in the digital age in Benin.