The Arles prison, in Bouches-du-Rhône, has been the scene of a hostage-taking since late Friday morning, indicates Provence. Information confirmed by a prison source.
A “psychiatric profile”
An inmate equipped with a homemade pick and known for “significant psychiatric disorders” restrains four nursing staff and a prison guard, several sources reported.
The man does not present “a terrorist profile”, according to a prison source.
The hostage taking began around 11:15 a.m. in the health unit of the Arles central house, said a prison source. “The situation remains calm,” said a source close to the matter.
Released in 2031
The 37-year-old man was incarcerated for rape at gunpoint. He says he wants to “change prison centers”, according to the source close to the matter.
Several intervention forces, including the Raid, were deployed on site.
“We have mobilized all means” to put an end to the hostage-taking, Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said on X, saying he was following “the evolution of the situation in real time”.
The inmate was eligible for release in 2031, said the source close to the case.
