Kim Kardashian and the Paris robbery
French courts on Friday sentenced the perpetrators of the multi-million-dollar robbery suffered by American reality star Kim Kardashian at a Paris hotel in 2016 to prison terms of up to three years, although none will return to prison.
Kardashian, who testified at the trial in the French capital, said she was " satisfied " with the sentence and added that she was "deeply grateful to the French authorities for having delivered justice in this case."
"This crime was the most terrifying experience of my life," the 44-year-old businesswoman said in a statement sent by her lawyers, in which she said she now wants to " turn the page ."
Nine men and one woman have been on trial since late April for the armed robbery of the superstar's jewelry, valued at $10 million.
Kardashian, then 35, was held at gunpoint , bound, and gagged. At the time, the French press described the incident as "the robbery of the century."
All of the sentences were less than those requested by the prosecution , which this week requested up to ten years in prison for four of the defendants.
Aomar Ait Khedache , 69, considered the ringleader of the gang, was sentenced to the harshest sentence of three years in prison, plus five years suspended. However, due to the time already served behind bars, he will not return to prison, as will the other convicts .
Two other suspects accused of providing information about the influencer's whereabouts were acquitted.
"The sentences are quite lenient; I think they understand that they have caused harm," presiding judge David De Pas told the defendants as he read out the verdicts.
"The health condition of the main protagonists ethically prohibits imprisoning anyone. It would have been unjust to imprison them this afternoon," he added.
The main defendant , Aomar Ait Khedache , begged for forgiveness. "I ask for forgiveness . I'm lost for words. I'm so sorry," he said in a statement read by his lawyer, as he is completely deaf and nearly mute.
During the trial , he even wrote a letter of apology to Kardashian. Khedache acknowledged his involvement , but denied being the ringleader of the group.
The defense team for the defendants, dubbed the "grandfather robbers " by the media, had asked that their clients not go to jail due to their advanced age. "At that age, a prison sentence is equivalent to a life sentence ," they argued.
"I was sure I was going to die that night" Kim Kardashian Influencer “
Two other defendants, Yunice Abbas , 71, and Didier Dubreucq , 69, were sentenced to seven years in prison, five of which were suspended.
"I can only offer regret . I'm sorry. I take responsibility for what I did," said Abbas, who suffers from Parkinson's disease.
Dubreucq, who was not present at the trial because he is hospitalized, stated that he "never" participated in the robbery .
The fourth member of the gang, Marc-Alexandre Boyer , 35, was sentenced to the same term. He also asked for forgiveness in his final statement before sentencing .
Second chancesKardashian, who has used her social media notoriety to launch several businesses, recounted that she was in her hotel room in 2016 when a group of robbers threatened her at gunpoint.
"I was sure I was going to die that night," she testified during the trial .
Most of the loot was never found, including a ring valued at nearly $4 million, a gift from Kardashian's then-husband, rapper Kanye West.
The trial received widespread media coverage and attracted crowds waiting outside the courthouse in central Paris, hoping to catch a glimpse of the famous star, even from a distance.
During her testimony , Kardashian said that during the robbery , she thought she was going to be raped and die. But she also offered forgiveness to one of the defendants.
"I forgive him for what happened, but it doesn't change the trauma and the way my life has changed," Kardashian said in mid-May, after crying upon hearing Khedache 's apology.
"I've always believed in second chances ," declared the star, one of the most followed people on X and Instagram and who Time magazine places among the 100 most influential celebrities on the planet.
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