A hostage taking is underway in Arles prison. Five people are held by an armed prisoner. He would have been incarcerated for rape and would have already had “problems with violence in detention”.
This Friday, January 3, several members of the prison staff at the Arles central prison were taken hostage by an inmate late in the morning, according to La Provence. They are held in the prison infirmary. According to franceinfo, the inmate was in the infirmary for a hand injury when he threatened four members of the medical staff and a prison guard with a homemade bladed weapon. On site, the police were mobilized as well as several intervention teams.
The Irwing S inmate behind the hostage taking is 37 years old. He is said to have committed numerous common law offenses and was reported to have been radicalized in 2013, according to La Provence. Le Parisien adds that he would have been imprisoned for rape. He is described as “very impulsive” and “violent”. He allegedly took these people hostage following his discontent after the refusal of his transfer to another detention center.
According to La Provence, last October, the FO Justice union was concerned about “the situation at the Arles central prison, in particular with regard to the safety of agents, the care of detainees, and the efficiency systems in place.
Latest updates
13:59 – Is the detainee radicalized?
The detainee behind the hostage-taking was reported as a radicalized individual in 2013 according to information from La Provence which specifies that his actions were not motivated by jihadist motives. According to Franceinfo, which cites a prison source, the prisoner “is not considered an Islamic radical” and is not subject to particular surveillance.
13:52 – The inmate injured in the hand
According to a police source from franceinfo, the detainee was in the infirmary for a hand injury sustained following a fight.
1:47 p.m. – The detainee is said to be in possession of “homemade picks”
First described as a homemade bladed weapon, the detainee allegedly threatened the hostages with “homemade picks”. For the moment, the situation “remains calm”, assured a police source to Le Parisien.
1:45 p.m. – Incarceration for rape but no “terrorist profile”
The detainee, born in Guyana, is incarcerated for acts of rape at gunpoint, according to a judicial source cited by Le Parisien. He was sentenced to 18 years of criminal imprisonment. He would be releasable in 2031 according to Le Parisien. If he had been reported radicalized in 2013, he would not have “a terrorist profile”.
13:28 – Gérard Darmanin assures that “all means” are deployed to deal with the hostage-taking
The Minister of Justice, Gérald Darmanin assured on X that “all means” have been “mobilized” to “deal with it”. “I am following the evolution of the situation in real time,” he added. Several police forces are around the prison. An intervention by regional intervention and security teams is planned. The Raid was also activated by the Bouches-du-Rhône police prefect.
13:24 – The profile of the inmate becomes clearer
The inmate behind the hostage-taking is said to be one Irwing S, aged 37. He is very unfavorably known to law enforcement. He committed numerous common law offenses and was reported to have been radicalized in 2013, according to La Provence. According to Le Parisien, he was imprisoned for rape. He is described as “very impulsive” and “violent”. The current hostage taking would be linked to his dissatisfaction following the refusal of his transfer to another detention center.
13:13 – The detainee would have “a psychiatric profile”
A representative of the prison guards union SPS Paca-Corse told France 3 Provence-Alpes that the inmate who is holding several members of prison staff hostage was having a medical appointment at the time of the incident. According to prison sources with AFP, the man has “a psychiatric profile”.