The trial into the escape of Redouane Faïd is suspended until October 9 after the face of an accused whose identity was changed and must remain anonymous was mistakenly broadcast. An “inadmissible” error according to the individual’s lawyer.
The trial of Redouane Faïd, the man who escaped from Fleury-Mérogis prison, was suspended on Friday October 6 and until Monday October 9, when it was supposed to end. An unexpected postponement caused by a major error: the face of an accused whose anonymity has been scrupulously respected since the start of the hearings was revealed to the general public on the evening of October 5. An error with serious consequences resulting from a technical bug. A criminal investigation has been opened.
The accused changed his identity for his safety
The accused in question is the man who admitted to having played the role of intermediary between the family of Redouane Faïd and Jacques Mariani, another accused and a figure of Corsican organized crime, to ultimately set up the escape project aborted by prisoner Faïd. He is also the one who “gave” Jacques Mariani to the investigators. The 48-year-old repentant man and his family have since changed their identity for their security, which explains the respect of his anonymity at each hearing. Note that the man’s co-defendants know and see his face, the anonymization measures only apply to the general public.
Numerous precautionary measures have been taken since the start of the trial to respect the anonymity of the accused. The man arrives before the room opens to the public at each hearing and is the last to leave the premises, including during hearing recess. During the trial, he appeared freely behind a screen. When he spoke on the stand, the screen was also moved to protect his anonymity.
The diffusion of the face of the accused, an “inadmissible” error
Despite effective precautions since the start of the trial, a technical bug destroyed these efforts on Thursday, October 5. The face of the accused appeared in front of the camera and therefore on the screens which allow people present in the courtroom to follow the proceedings and he remained on the screen for several minutes. A technical bug is believed to be the cause of this serious error. The gendarmes and the lawyer of the accused in question tried to hide the face of the forty-year-old using the screen, a piece of fabric or their own body. But in the time it took to hide the individual, a screenshot showing his face was posted on social networks. “What happened is unacceptable” complained the lawyer of the anonymous accused, Me Clarisse Serre, who requested the suspension of the hearing. A request granted until October 9.
This error risks putting the man and his family in danger if the latter is recognized in his daily life despite his assumed name. The man is the one who denounced the big bandit Jacques Mariani to investigators and could be the subject of reprisals. When his face was broadcast, relatives of Corsica present in the courtroom reacted strongly. After the “edifying reactions” heard in the room at the sight of his face, the accused told his lawyer that he was “in no condition to speak”. The family of the accused said they were “particularly worried”.
If the error in the broadcast could result from a technical problem, the sharing of a photo of the accused’s face taken during the hearing raises questions about security in the courtroom. In theory, all phones of people in the audience are checked when entering and leaving the courtroom. This should have prevented the photo from circulating.