A French court on Friday handed down verdicts in the high-profile robbery case involving reality TV icon Kim Kardashian, nearly nine years after she was bound, gagged, and robbed at gunpoint in a Paris hotel in 2016.
Despite the seriousness of the crime, none of the convicted individuals will return to jail, with sentences considerably lighter than those sought by prosecutors.
Ten defendants — nine men and one woman — stood trial beginning in April for their roles in the $10 million jewellery heist that saw Kardashian, then 35, held at gunpoint, tied up, and locked in a bathroom while robbers made off with her diamonds.
The incident remains one of France’s largest heists targeting an individual in the past two decades. The ringleader, 69-year-old Aomar Ait Khedache, received the harshest sentence: three years in prison with an additional five years suspended.
However, due to time already served in pre-trial detention, Khedache will not return to jail. The court cited the defendants’ advanced age and health conditions in its decision to forego further incarceration.
“The state of health of the main protagonists ethically prohibits incarcerating anyone,” presiding judge David De Pas stated while delivering the verdict. “It would have been unjust to take you to prison this evening.”
Two other men, Yunice Abbas, 71, and Didier Dubreucq, 69 — both convicted of carrying out the robbery — were sentenced to seven years each, including five years suspended. Dubreucq, currently undergoing chemotherapy, was absent from court.
The youngest member of the group, 35-year-old Marc-Alexandre Boyer, received the same sentence. A fifth man, Harminy Ait Khedache, the son of the ringleader, was convicted for driving the robbers on the night of the heist.
The prosecution had sought 10-year prison terms for the primary perpetrators, urging the court not to be swayed by their age. Dubbed the “Grandpa Robbers” by French media, most of the accused are in their 60s or 70s.
Two individuals charged with providing Kardashian’s whereabouts were acquitted.
In a statement released after the verdict, Kardashian expressed her “deep gratitude to the French authorities for pursuing justice,” calling the robbery “the most terrifying experience of my life.”
“While I’ll never forget what happened, I believe in the power of growth and accountability and pray for healing for all,” she said. During the trial, Kardashian also told the court she forgave Khedache after hearing his written apology.
Although some of the jewellery has been recovered, many pieces remain missing — including a diamond engagement ring worth approximately €3.5 million, gifted to her by her then-husband, rapper Kanye West.
Kardashian’s lawyers said she is ready to put the traumatic incident behind her and remains committed to reforming the criminal justice system “on behalf of victims, the innocent, and the incarcerated seeking to redeem themselves.”
As the convicted men embraced loved ones and left the courtroom carrying suitcases prepared for prison, the saga of the celebrity robbery that once shocked the world came to a quiet, unexpected end.
This article was created using automation technology and was thoroughly edited and fact-checked by one of our editorial staff members
