A group of older men, known as the “grandpa gang”, have gone on trial in Paris, accused of robbing Kim Kardashian at gunpoint during Paris Fashion Week in 2016.
The trial, which began this week, sees ten defendants-most now in their late sixties or seventies-charged with armed robbery, kidnapping, and other offences after the high-profile heist that shocked the world.
On the opening day, each accused stood to confirm their identity and occupation. Many described themselves as retired. Among them is Yunice Abbas, 71, who has admitted his involvement and even wrote a book about the crime. Abbas told French media a few years ago, “It’s not her, it’s her diamond we targeted,” in an interview with C8 TV. He has expressed remorse and said he wants to apologise to Kardashian.
Another defendant, Aomar Ait Khedache, 68, nicknamed “Omar the Old”, is accused of being the ringleader, a claim he denies. His lawyer, Frank Berton, said, “This trial attracts international attention because of who the plaintiff, the victim, is. What we hope is that it won’t change anything in the way the facts are judged.”
If you need a recap of the robbery, in the early hours of October 3, 2016, Kardashian was staying at the Hôtel de Pourtalès, a luxury apartment complex popular with celebrities. Five men, dressed as police officers and wearing ski masks, forced the concierge to lead them to Kardashian’s apartment. Once inside, they restrained her with zip ties and duct tape, held her at gunpoint, and demanded her jewellery.
The robbers made off with an estimated $9 million (about $13.8 million AUD) in jewellery, including a $4 million engagement ring given to her by then-husband Kanye West. Most of the stolen items, including the ring, have never been recovered.
Kardashian has spoken publicly about the trauma she experienced that night. In a 2020 interview with David Letterman, she recalled, “They kept on saying ‘the ring, the ring’.” She described looking at the concierge and thinking, “Are we gonna die? Just tell them I have children, I have babies … I have to get home.”
She later told police she was wearing only a bathrobe when two men burst into her room. After being bound and gagged, she was placed in a bathtub while the robbers ransacked her room.
Kardashian has said, “It was the scariest thing I’ve ever been through in my life, just waiting to die. For those ten minutes, I braced myself for the moment I thought I would be shot.”
DNA evidence found on the zip ties and plastic bands used to restrain Kardashian helped police identify and arrest suspects in January 2017. In total, ten people-nine men and one woman-are now on trial. Five face charges of armed robbery and kidnapping, which could result in life sentences; the others are accused of complicity or illegal possession of weapons.
One suspect died before the trial, and another is too ill to stand trial.
Kardashian, now 44, is expected to testify in person at the Palais de Justice in Paris on May 13, with verdicts likely by May 23. Her lawyer said, “She has great respect and admiration for the French justice system and has been treated with great respect by the French authorities. She wishes the trial to proceed in an orderly fashion, in accordance with French law and with respect for all parties to the case, per CBS News.
The trial has drawn global media attention, not just for the celebrity at its centre, but for the audacity of the crime and the unusual age of the accused. As the proceedings continue, the world will be watching for Kardashian’s testimony-and to see if justice will finally be served, nearly a decade after one of the world’s most famous robberies.
Lead image: Getty Images
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