Marseille: a prisoner savagely killed at the Baumettes prison
A 22-year-old inmate was fatally slit the throat of his fellow inmate at the Baumettes prison in Marseille on the night of Wednesday 9 to Thursday 10 October 2024. This particularly violent crime shocked prison authorities and law enforcement, while once again highlighting the issue of security in French prisons. According to information from several media outlets, including BFMTV and Le Parisien, the 25-year-old attacker used an improvised sharp object: a piece of broken porcelain bowl, to carry out this brutal act. According to union sources cited by Le Parisien, the alleged perpetrator said after the attack that he could no longer stand his fellow inmate and that their relationship had deteriorated over the days, leading to this tragic outcome.
A crime of extreme violence
According to the first elements of the investigation reported by Valeurs actuelles, the victim was "virtually decapitated" by her attacker. This macabre description highlights the brutality of the act committed in this prison already known for its tensions between inmates. It was a prison guard who discovered the lifeless body when the cell was opened on the evening of October 9, immediately alerting the competent authorities. A magistrate went to the scene to supervise the start of the investigation, while security officers tried to understand the circumstances that could have led to such an escalation of violence between the two inmates.
The suspect was quickly arrested and taken to the Marseille Évêché police station, where he is currently being questioned. The man, who is homeless, was serving a six-month prison sentence for possession and transportation of narcotics. The victim, meanwhile, was also incarcerated for similar offences, but had not yet been tried. Authorities are now seeking to determine whether previous tensions or conflicts between the two men had been reported before that fatal night, and whether precautionary measures could have been taken to prevent this tragedy.
A cautious reaction from the authorities
Questioned by BFMTV on Thursday, October 10, the Minister of Justice, Didier Migaud, confirmed the occurrence of this crime without, however, going into details. "I confirm to you that a crime was committed at the Baumettes prison, but I cannot say more for the moment," he declared in front of the journalist Apolline de Malherbe. This measured reaction is part of a delicate management of criminal cases in prisons, which are often a reflection of overcrowding and growing tensions between inmates in French prisons.
The Baumettes prison, often criticized for its harsh detention conditions and recurring security problems, is once again at the center of media attention. This Marseille facility has already been the scene of numerous violent incidents, and this homicide has rekindled debates on the management of prisoners deemed particularly dangerous or unstable.
An investigation to clarify the circumstances
The Marseille prosecutor's office has opened an investigation into voluntary homicide, in order to clarify the precise circumstances of this tragedy. Initial evidence suggests that it was a conflict between fellow inmates that escalated, but investigators are also examining other leads, including possible psychological problems in the attacker. The Minister of Justice also stated that additional measures would be taken to strengthen security in this penitentiary and prevent such tragedies from happening again.
This case once again highlights the difficulties encountered by the French prison system, particularly in the management of violence between prisoners and the lack of resources to prevent this type of tragedy. Prison guard unions, which regularly denounce the difficult working conditions in often overcrowded prisons, reacted with indignation, recalling that this type of incident could be avoided with more resources and staff.
This tragic event risks rekindling debates on prison policy in France, security in prisons, and the conditions of detention of prisoners, particularly in overcrowded establishments such as Les Baumettes.