It’s the end, the hostage taker surrendered after more than five hours of discussion. A hostage taking had been underway since 11:15 a.m., this Friday, January 3, at the Arles central house. The inmate armed with a bladed weapon was at a medical appointment before things got out of hand.
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The hostage-taking ended shortly before 4 p.m., this Friday, January 3, announced the Bouches-du-Rhône Police Prefecture. It had been in progress since 10:45 a.m. at the Arles central house, according to information from our colleagues at Provence having been confirmed at France 3 Provence-Alpes by a representative of the prison guards union SPS Paca-Corse.
In a press conference given in front of the prison following the release, Pierre-Edouard Colliex, the police prefect, was relieved after a long negotiation. The bladed weapon used was made within the prison grounds, probably by the inmate. Several iron spikes could have been very damaging and dangerous. An investigation is underway to find out how he obtained it.
The central house of Arles where a hostage-taking has been taking place since this Friday, January 3, in the morning. The Raid has been on site since 1:30 p.m.
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© Alexandre Grellier / France Télévisions
Our priority was the safety of the hostages. This all lasted 5 hours. And that ended well, the hostages were courageous.
Pierre-Edouard Colliex, police prefect of Bouches-du-RhôneFrance 3 Provence-Alpes
Four people were still hostages before he surrendered, three nurses from the medical service. With them, a prison guard was also detained. No one will have been injured. A psychiatrist and mother was released around 2:45 p.m., well before the rest of the team. .
The regional intervention and security teams (ÉRIS), prison guards highly qualified to intervene in the event of a hostage-taking, were also dispatched to the site.
The Minister of Justice, Gérald Darmanin, who was in Marseille the day before, closely followed the situation on his Twitter account. “We have mobilized all means to deal with it. I am following the evolution of the situation in real time.”
An “unstable” inmate eligible for release in 2031
The detainee was in the infirmary, according to information confirmed to France 3 Provence-Alpes. The man is known to be psychologically unstable, but is not registered as a “highly noted detainee.” He is releasable in 2031. Age 37 years old, he is incarcerated for rape at gunpoint.
He’s an inmate we know well. He is well known to the police. He has numerous acts of violence. He is medicated. This is a psychological case like many in prison today, too many, which we have difficulty managing. We are not hospitals.
Christy Nicolas, SPS general secretaryFranceinfo
“The situation remains calm“, said a source close to the matter to AFP.
Among the hostages, prison sources say there is a nurse, a psychiatrist, a secretary and a supervisor. The detainee is armed with two punches and asks to change prison, say these same sources.
The access gate to the Maison Centrale d’Arle car park is closed.
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© Alexandre Grellier / France Télévisions
This is not the first time that the Arles central prison has been the scene of similar events: in 2013, a guard was taken hostage for several hours by an inmate, who eventually surrendered. The Arles central prison is not the only prison affected by this insecurity: in May 2024, a hostage taking took place at the Aix-Luynes penitentiary center, leaving two people injured.
