Grenoble: Ali Handa sentenced to 15 years in prison for the rape of an autistic teenager, 7 months after his release from prison for murder. A chilling criminal journey that raises questions about…
The disturbing story of Ali Handa, 40, sheds harsh light on the flaws in the judicial and prison systems. This man, sentenced in 2005 to 15 years in prison for murder, shockingly reoffended barely 7 months after his parole in 2022, by raping an autistic teenager in Grenoble. A heinous act which earned him a new sentence of 15 years in prison.
A Serious Criminal Past
Ali Handa's journey is marked by violence. In 2003, he committed a murder in Paris which earned him a sentence of 15 years in prison by the Assize Court in 2005. During his detention, his behavior hardly improved. He accumulated infractions, receiving additional sentences and undergoing multiple disciplinary transfers.
Despite this fraught past, Ali Handa will benefit from external placement in January 2022, a step towards possible conditional release. An Isère association even provided him with accommodation in the Olympic Village district of Grenoble, far from his region of origin.
The Horror seven months later
But barely 7 months after his release from prison, Ali Handa does it again in the worst possible way. In August 2022, he approached a 17-year-old teenager, vulnerable due to her autistic disorders, in a supermarket in Échirolles. Under threat, he takes her to his home where he rapes her.
The young victim, terrified, finds the courage to file a complaint. His poignant testimony allowed investigators to quickly trace Ali Handa, who was arrested and detained.
A new conviction
On November 8, 2024, the Isère Assize Court delivered its verdict: Ali Handa was sentenced to 15 years of criminal imprisonment for rape of a vulnerable person. A sentence commensurate with the crime, but which can never erase the trauma suffered by the victim.
A faulty system?
This case raises many questions about the functioning of our justice and prison system. How could a criminal with a past as serious as Ali Handa benefit from parole? Is the monitoring of these released prisoners sufficient to prevent recidivism?
We can only deplore the flaws in a system which allowed such a dangerous individual to go free, with the dramatic consequences that we know for his victim.
– A source close to the matter
The role of reintegration associations, like the one that provided housing to Ali Handa, is also singled out. If their mission is laudable, we can question the criteria for awarding this aid and the monitoring of beneficiaries.
A necessary reflection
Beyond the shock and emotion aroused by this sordid news story, it is time to engage in in-depth reflection on the care of the most dangerous detainees and on the resources allocated to their monitoring after their release. . The safety of everyone and the prevention of tragedies like that experienced by the young victim of Ali Handa are at stake.
Concrete measures must be taken to:
- Strengthen the assessment of the dangerousness of prisoners before any sentence adjustment measure
- Improve the monitoring and control of prisoners released, with adequate human and material resources
- Better supervise the action of reintegration associations and the conditions for granting housing aid
- Develop programs to prevent recidivism and psychological care for prisoners
Because behind every news story like that of Ali Handa, there are broken victims and destroyed lives. Our duty is to do everything possible to ensure that such tragedies do not happen again.
| Year | Event |
| 2003 | Ali Handa commits murder in Paris |
| 2005 | Sentenced to 15 years in prison by the Paris Assize Court |
| 2022 (January) | External placement, accommodation provided by an association in Grenoble |
| 2022 (August) | Rape of an autistic teenager in Grenoble, 7 months after her release |
| 2024 (November) | Sentenced to 15 years in prison by the Isère Assize Court |
Strong measures and a boost from public authorities are necessary so that the tragic story of Ali Handa and his young victim is not in vain and at least serves to improve a clearly defective system. Because fighting against criminal recidivism is a collective responsibility, in the service of a safer and fairer society.
