Ten people accused of robbing Kim Kardashian in Paris in 2016 are going on trial in the French capital.
Kardashian was tied up and held at gunpoint by five men who forced their way into her hotel room and stole jewellery worth more than $10 million, including a $4 million engagement ring from her husband at the time, Kanye West.
Most of the possessions taken in the robbery, including the engagement ring, have never been found. Only two of the people accused of taking part have admitted their involvement, and only 10 of the 12 people who have been accused will stand trial. Since the robbery nine years ago, one of the accused has died, and another, aged 81, has advanced dementia.
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Some French media nicknamed the gang the “grandpa robbers” because the heist was “attributed to a group of veteran criminals”, including some who “are in their 70s”, said The New York Times.
What exactly happened?
The incident took place during Paris Fashion Week while Kardashian was alone in her hotel room at the Hôtel de Pourtalès in the Madeleine district of Paris.
At around 3am on 3 October 2016, masked men dressed as policemen, who had held up and handcuffed a concierge from the hotel, entered the reality star’s room and, holding her at gunpoint, demanded she hand over her jewellery. They then “bound her and duct-taped her mouth before carrying her into the bathroom” in a “nightmare” that “lasted about 10 minutes”, said Vanity Fair. The accused are said to have then fled the scene on foot and by bicycle.
Kardashian wanted to “flee as quickly as she could” and return to the US that night, so she gave evidence to the police in the early hours before leaving France on a private jet.
The alleged robbers were picked up by police around three months later after making “serious errors” in covering their tracks. They left DNA evidence, were caught numerous times on CCTV and dropped a “bag of jewels”, some of which were picked up by a member of the public, said the BBC.
Who is accused of being involved?
Two of those going on trial – 71-year-old Yunice Abbas and 68-year-old Aomar Ait Khedache – have admitted their involvement. The former has released a book about the robbery called “I Kidnapped Kim Kardashian” since being arrested, in which he “admitted his involvement, citing financial struggles and viewing the heist as his ‘last job'”, said Cosmopolitan.
Khedache, another veteran criminal nicknamed “Old Omar”, has also admitted he took part but “denies being the mastermind” behind the plot.
Also standing trial is Didier Dubreucq, 69, a seasoned criminal, as well as Gary Madar, 34, whose brother has regularly provided transport for the Kardashians in Paris over several years. Madar is accused of passing on information to the criminal gang about Kardashian’s whereabouts on the night of the robbery. He denies handing over information to another accused, Florus Héroui, 52, whom Madar worked for in a cafe.
Marc Boyer, 78, and his son Marc-Alexandre Boyer will also stand trial. The former is accused of providing the weapon used in the heist and the latter of being involved in the robbery itself.
Why has the trial taken so long to happen?
The long-awaited trial has not been as urgent because of the “defendants’ age and health issues”, which also meant they have “spent little time in provisional detention”, said the BBC. The courts have also been working through a “backlog” of other cases, including “large terrorism trials”, which has taken many years.
French courts often provide an “enquête de personnalité” on defendants, a personality background and family history to give jurors a sense of the person involved. The first to take the stand, Abbas, told the court that he “totally regretted” robbing Kardashian and the incident had “opened his eyes” to his wrongdoings. He also said he wasn’t aware of who Kardashian was at the time.
What happens next?
The defendants face a range of charges, including armed robbery, membership of a criminal gang, and kidnapping. Abbas, Dubreucq and Khedache could all “face up to 30 years in prison”, said Vanity Fair.
Kardashian is due to give evidence in person on 13 May, when 400 journalists are expected to attend the court. The trial is expected to last until the end of May.
