A French court has found a group of robbers guilty for stealing €8m in jewellery from reality TV personality Kim Kardashian at a Paris hotel in 2016. However, they will not face jail time, and the sentences were more lenient than the prosecution had sought.
Ms. Kardashian described the heist as “the most terrifying experience of my life” and quickly expressed her appreciation to the French authorities for their pursuit of “justice” in this matter.
Since April, nine men and one woman have been on trial, with prosecutors seeking the maximum sentence of ten years for the four men accused of executing the robbery.
Aomar Ait Khedache, 69, the leader of the gang, received the longest sentence of three years in prison along with five years suspended. However, due to time already served, he will not return to custody, much like the other convicted individuals.
At the time of the incident, Ms. Kardashian was 35 years old and was robbed while staying at a luxury hotel in Paris during the night of October 2-3, 2016.
She was threatened with a gun to her head and restrained, with her mouth taped shut.
Following the verdict, Ms. Kardashian shared that she was “deeply grateful to the French authorities for pursuing justice.”
“The crime was the most terrifying experience of my life, leaving a lasting impact on me and my family,” she remarked in a statement relayed by her legal team.
“Though I will never forget what happened, I believe in the power of growth and accountability, and I pray for healing for all,” she added.
Kim Kardashian’s attorney, Michael Rhodes, made a statement to the French media.
After the session concluded, the convicted individuals embraced their families in relief and slowly exited the courtroom with bags and suitcases they had prepared in anticipation of imprisonment.
“The sentences are rather lenient; I recognize that you acknowledge the harm you’ve inflicted,” presiding judge David De Pas remarked as he delivered the verdicts.
He also noted that “the health conditions of the primary individuals involved ethically prevent incarceration. It would have been unjust to detain you tonight.”
Khedache had pleaded for forgiveness in his final words before sentencing.
Now nearly mute and completely deaf, his statement was read by his attorney.
“I seek forgiveness. I struggle to find the words. I am deeply sorry,” he expressed, requesting “a thousand pardons” from his son Harminy, who was convicted for driving during the robbery.
Two other men involved in the robbery that night, Yunice Abbas, 71, and Didier Dubreucq, 69, were sentenced to seven years, with five years suspended. Dubreucq was absent as he is undergoing chemotherapy for cancer.
The youngest member of the robbery crew, 35-year-old Marc-Alexandre Boyer, received the same sentence.
Ms. Kardashian’s lawyers stated that the star “looks forward to moving past this tragic episode as she continues to work towards improving the criminal justice system for victims, the innocent, and those incarcerated seeking redemption.”
Security forces stand guard near an entrance to the Assize Court in Paris.
Most of the stolen items have not been recovered, including a diamond ring valued at €3.5m that was a gift from Ms. Kardashian’s then-husband, rapper Kanye West.
This robbery is noted as the largest against a private individual in France in the last 20 years.
The majority of the accused are now in their 60s and 70s and have been nicknamed the “Grandpa robbers” by French media.
In making sentencing recommendations earlier this week, the prosecutor urged the judges and jury to remember that Ms. Kardashian was the victim of a violent crime and not to be swayed by the defendants’ “wrinkles.”
The American celebrity testified during the trial while wearing a diamond necklace.
During her testimony, Ms. Kardashian mentioned that she forgave Khedache after receiving a letter of apology from him. “I forgive you for what has happened, but it does not erase the emotions, the trauma, and the change in my life,” she conveyed to Khedache, expressing her belief in a “second chance.”
Ms. Kardashian, often referred to as “famous for being famous,” rose to prominence in the early 2000s through reality television before launching fashion brands and appearing in films.
