PARIS, April 28 (Prime Africa) – Nearly a decade after reality TV star Kim Kardashian was robbed at gunpoint in a luxury Paris residence during Fashion Week, ten suspects—some now elderly—went on trial Monday in what was once dubbed France’s biggest personal robbery in over two decades.
The suspects, known in French media as the “grandpa gang” due to their advanced ages, include men now in their late sixties and seventies. Many were nearing or at retirement age during the October 2016 heist, when Kardashian was bound with zip ties and duct tape by armed men posing as police officers.
One of the accused, 71-year-old Yunice Abbas, has already confessed to his role in the crime and even authored a book detailing his involvement. “The big job was to be the last,” he told French television channel TF1, admitting he was unaware the target was the global celebrity until after the fact.
During the trial’s opening in a central Paris courtroom, each defendant confirmed their identity and stated their current or former occupations—most citing retirement. Five men are charged with armed robbery and kidnapping, offenses that could carry life sentences. Others face charges including complicity and illegal possession of firearms.
Kardashian, who had been in Paris for Fashion Week, is expected to return to the city in May to testify. Her lawyer confirmed her appearance, saying she remains committed to seeing justice served.
Investigators say the robbers made off with more than $10 million worth of jewelry, including a $4 million engagement ring given to Kardashian by her then-husband, rapper Kanye West (now known as Ye). DNA traces on the zip ties used in the attack led police to arrest the suspects in January 2017.
“I kept looking at the concierge,” Kardashian emotionally recalled in a 2020 interview with David Letterman. “I was like, ‘Are we gonna die?’ Just tell them I have children … I have to get home.”
One of the defendants, 68-year-old Aomar Ait Khedache, also known as “Omar the Old,” is accused of leading the gang—a claim he denies. His lawyer, Chloe Arnoux, argued that a life sentence at his age would mean dying in prison. She revealed that he had written a letter of apology to Kardashian, though it was intercepted by French officials.
While some of the stolen items were recovered—such as a diamond-studded cross found in the street—most of the jewels, including the infamous ring, remain missing.
Of the original 12 identified suspects, one has since died, and another is medically unfit to stand trial, according to prosecutors. The trial is expected to continue through May.
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