French backpacker denied bail over alleged anti-Israeli assault

A French backpacker has been remanded in custody for allegedly hugging and pulling a knife on an Israeli man and allegedly making anti-Israeli comments.Leo Raymund Cotene, 25, appeared in Cairns Magistrates Court charged with common assault with serious vilification or hate crime circumstances of aggravation.The court heard Mr Cotene was at the Mad Monkey Backpackers on Sheridan Street in Cairns at about 5pm on August 13 when he approached an Israeli national."He's hugged the complainant, who has told him not to touch him," Mr Cotene's lawyer Rowan King said while detailing the allegations against his client."[Mr Cotene] then responded, 'I'll hug you if I want.' He's then hugged him a second time."Police arrested Leo Cotene at the hostel. (ABC Far North: Brendan Mounter)He allegedly then reached into a bag and pulled out a 20-centimetre knife."There's no allegation that he's … struck him or anything more sinister than that," Mr King said.The court heard Mr Cotene made anti-Israeli comments to the man."The allegation is he's made comments like, 'You kill people in Gaza', 'I'm not staying in a hotel with an Israeli' and, 'F*** Israel,'" Mr King said.The assault charge related to the alleged hugging and Mr King questioned whether the aggravated circumstance was based on religion.He told the court Mr Cotene's comments were in relation to the man's citizenship or nationality, as opposed to his religion.Mr King told the court his client had told him there was "more to the story" and that there had been "animosity" between the Israeli man and other people at the hostel.'International Incel Investigating' group chatThe court heard Mr Cotene and 13 other backpackers were members of a group chat called International Incel Investigating in which they made comments about the complainant.The group allegedly obtained a social media photo of the complainant and posted it in the chat.A group of backpackers allegedly posted a photo of the Israeli man taken from Instagram into their WhatsApp chat. (ABC News: Abbey Haberecht)"There is footage of this person in an Israeli outfit depicted in war scenes that's come directly from the complainant's Instagram," Mr King said.The court heard that, among comments against the Israeli man from other group members, Mr Cotene had sent two messages."Next time I see him [the complainant] at the hostel, we might go out somewhere without cameras," his lawyer said one of the messages read.The court heard Mr Cotene had been in Australia since November 2025 and arrived in Cairns two months ago.He has an extensive history of working in the construction industry and no criminal history in Australia or in France.Leo Cotene will remain in custody until he returns to court next month. (ABC Far North: Rosanne Maloney)In opposing bail police prosecutor Olivier Claes said he was concerned about "the risk of further offending and endangering other members of the public, particularly those of Israeli origin or those of Jewish faith".He said it would be likely the defendant would serve a period of imprisonment in Australia due to the alleged "deliberateness" of his actions and circumstances of aggravation.Magistrate Tom Brayes rejected Mr Cotene's application for bail and remanded him in custody.He returns to court on September 11.