Breakdown with the authorities: French prisoner is still on the run
Published: Thursday, Jan 4th 2024, 20:21
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A French prisoner is still on the run following an escape, contrary to the information provided by the public prosecutor's office in Annecy. They had mistakenly reported his arrest in Switzerland. There had previously been a misunderstanding with the Fribourg police.
The 17-year-old prisoner escaped from the Bonneville prison in the French department of Haute Savoie around 27 kilometers southeast of Geneva on Christmas Eve. He has not been found since.
On Wednesday, the public prosecutor's office in Annecy reported the alleged arrest of the minor in the canton of Fribourg in the act of a burglary. However, the Fribourg police told the Keystone-SDA news agency on Thursday that the cantonal police had not made any arrests or detentions in the case.
It was a misunderstanding between the Swiss and French police, as reported by the radio station France Bleu. The Annecy public prosecutor's office admitted on Thursday that the man had never actually been arrested.
Errors in the translation
The Annecy public prosecutor explained the slip-up with a translation error from English into French. There had been a mix-up on a protocol written in English between the two police forces. The international arrest warrant against the young man therefore remained valid.
The minor, who had been remanded in custody on December 18 for an armed robbery, had escaped during a medical transfer on December 24. According to the prosecutor, he had used the open sliding door of the prison vehicle when the driver wanted to settle in and fled on foot. He was handcuffed to the belt.
A European arrest warrant was issued for the man on December 29. According to a source familiar with the investigation, he was considered "quite dangerous". However, the public prosecutor's office pointed out that he was unarmed and had no accomplices when he fled.
©Keystone/SDA
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