Hostage Standoff in French Prison Concludes
A convicted rapist has turned himself in after keeping five staff members from Arles prison hostage for more than 24 hours using an improvised weapon. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
A convicted rapist reportedly held five staff members hostage with an improvised weapon at a corrections facility in Arles, France. The individual surrendered to the police on Friday, as reported by authorities in Paris.
The Maison Centrale d’Arles, situated in Bouches-du-Rhone in Provence, accommodates inmates serving lengthy sentences, predominantly for violent crimes. The suspect has been imprisoned since 2015 for rape at gunpoint and has prior convictions for violence and aggravated robbery, according to police.
“The hostage-taker at the Arles central prison has been arrested,” announced French Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin on Friday afternoon, adding that no injuries occurred during the incident.
Darmanin disclosed that the suspect had taken five individuals hostage, which included a doctor, three nurses, and a prison guard. The doctor was released earlier as part of a negotiation effort.
Authorities identified the hostage-taker as Philippe, a 37-year-old inmate born in Guyana. Multiple law enforcement sources informed BFM TV that he possessed an “unstable psychiatric profile,” though the Tarascon public prosecutor noted there were “no psychotic elements” involved in the hostage situation.
Philippe took the hostages in the prison hospital on Thursday and demanded a transfer to another facility. He had “made a sort of bladed weapon with metal spikes,” reported Pierre-Edouard Colliex, the police prefect of Bouches-du-Rhone, during a press conference on Friday.
In response to the situation, the French government dispatched the RAID special intervention force to Arles in case negotiations with the suspect broke down.
This hostage incident occurred just a day after Darmanin's visit to the prisons in Marseille, where he discussed plans to increase sentences for inmates who threaten “state agents,” including magistrates and prison guards.
The Maison Centrale is located in the Rhone valley, just north of Arles, with a capacity to hold 159 inmates, currently operating at 85% occupancy, as per French media reports.
Navid Kalantari contributed to this report for TROIB News
The Maison Centrale d’Arles, situated in Bouches-du-Rhone in Provence, accommodates inmates serving lengthy sentences, predominantly for violent crimes. The suspect has been imprisoned since 2015 for rape at gunpoint and has prior convictions for violence and aggravated robbery, according to police.
“The hostage-taker at the Arles central prison has been arrested,” announced French Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin on Friday afternoon, adding that no injuries occurred during the incident.
Darmanin disclosed that the suspect had taken five individuals hostage, which included a doctor, three nurses, and a prison guard. The doctor was released earlier as part of a negotiation effort.
Authorities identified the hostage-taker as Philippe, a 37-year-old inmate born in Guyana. Multiple law enforcement sources informed BFM TV that he possessed an “unstable psychiatric profile,” though the Tarascon public prosecutor noted there were “no psychotic elements” involved in the hostage situation.
Philippe took the hostages in the prison hospital on Thursday and demanded a transfer to another facility. He had “made a sort of bladed weapon with metal spikes,” reported Pierre-Edouard Colliex, the police prefect of Bouches-du-Rhone, during a press conference on Friday.
In response to the situation, the French government dispatched the RAID special intervention force to Arles in case negotiations with the suspect broke down.
This hostage incident occurred just a day after Darmanin's visit to the prisons in Marseille, where he discussed plans to increase sentences for inmates who threaten “state agents,” including magistrates and prison guards.
The Maison Centrale is located in the Rhone valley, just north of Arles, with a capacity to hold 159 inmates, currently operating at 85% occupancy, as per French media reports.
Navid Kalantari contributed to this report for TROIB News
