the essential This Tuesday, October 5, a hostage-taking took place in the prison of Condé-sur-Sarthe, in the Orne.
A hostage-taking took place this Tuesday, October 5 at the high-security prison of Condé-sur- Sarthe (Orne): a detainee, Sofiane Rasmouk, convicted of rape and attempted murder for life, assaulted and held two guards hostage, before releasing them at midday.
The hostage-taking started at 10:15 a.m. A supervisor was released in the middle of the day, the justice ministry told AFP. She was not injured, he said. The other supervisor was injured in the right eye, according to the Department of Justice. Negotiations were initiated by the prison staff with the detainee, and the regional intervention and security teams (ERIS) from Rennes went to the site, according to the ministry. A crisis unit was immediately opened, according to the same source.
Sofiane Rasmouk went in the early afternoon without being injured, announced on Twitter the Minister of Justice Dupond-Moretti. “The hostage-taking is over. The detainee surrendered,” said the Minister of Justice, giving his “support” to the two supervisors, one of whom was slightly injured.
The hostage-taking is over. The detainee surrendered.
I give my support to the two supervisors who were victims and I warmly congratulate the personnel of the ÉRIS and the RAID which enabled this rapid outcome. I will meet them this afternoon.– Eric Dupond-Moretti (@E_DupondM) October 5, 2021
According to an AFP journalist present at the scene, the media were kept at a good distance from the prison, about two kilometers.
According to a union source and a police source, the hostage taker is Sofiane Rasmouk. This athletic man was convicted in cases of rape, attempted murder, theft, drug trafficking, insults or degradation.
In September 2017, a prison sentence life sentence for rape, attempted rape and attempted murder on two young women in 2013 had been confirmed while on day parole. Following the requisitions of the Advocate General, the Assize Court had increased the security sentence from 18 to 22 years.