Fans, tears and forgiveness in the raid on raid on Kim Kardashian in Paris

On Tuesday it is a hustle and bustle in the Palace of Justice on the Parisian Île de la Cité. Everywhere in the lush palace, people with their smartphone are in the attack. Three teenagers with wide pants view a map and conclude that « she will come in there! » A parent, Dutch couple who happened to pass by, was attracted by the consternation and also entered the court. But the courtroom is packed, the five are sent away before they get the chance to catch a glimpse of the person who is all about: Kim Kardashian.

The 44-year-old American reality star comes in a little later, hung with jewelry and flanked by her mother and four security guards. Kardashian is in the Paris court to testify about the robbery in a Paris hotel of which she fell victim in October 2016 – ten suspects are on trial. The American was in Paris at the time for the Fashion Week and was waking up at night because two men entered her room in policein. « One of these individuals told me with a (French) accent: ring, ring and gesture with his hand, » she says in English, translated simultaneously by an interpreter.

The men, who forced the receptionist to take them to Kardashians, kept the star of series as The Kardashians Under shot and knew her with tape. They stole her engagement ring of 4 million euros, her phone and millions in other jewels. She was not physically injured, but did ran a trauma for which she went into therapy. « I was convinced that they would shoot at me (…), that they would rap me, » says an emotional Kardashian. After the robbers left, she was able to free herself and inform the police.

‘Opa-Rovers’

The ten suspects – who, according to the judiciary, carried out the robbery, prepared or helped with, for example, transport – have become known in the French press as the Papy Braqueurs: the grandfather robbers. This is because of their age: most are in the sixties or seventy. A man who would have sold Kardashians jewelry is no longer even alive, another cannot stand trial because he is sick. Most suspects deny involvement, but two have known guilt and apologies.

After Kardashians interrogation, the judge reads a letter from the main suspect Aomar Aït Khedache (69), who writes in a TV interview after seeing the robbery « what damage I have caused you ». « I want to approach you as a person and tell you how touched I was through your (…) tears. » When Kardashian hears the words, she bursts into tears: « I forgive you. » This plays a role that she « believes in rehabilitation », for the same reason she regularly visits prisons in the US and does a lawyer training. Another suspect, Yanice Abbas (72) who wrote a book entitled I hosted Kim Kardashianapologizes.

Sorry or not, the grandfather robbers can receive years of imprisonment. It is not yet known when the ruling will follow. Kardashian now wants to « turn the page », but her life changed drastically in the field of safety. Her jewels are now always in a special suitcase (or shine on her body). And she places as little as possible in real time on social media.

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