"Grandpa gangster" on trial Kim Kardashian robbery trial begins in Paris

Reality TV star and entrepreneur Kim Kardashian is in Paris for Fashion Week in 2016 when she is the victim of a robbery at her luxury residence. Crooks in police uniforms gag and tie up the US-American.

Keystone-SDA

28.04.2025, 21:44

SDA

Eight and a half years after the night-time robbery of US star Kim Kardashian, the trial of ten alleged perpetrators has begun in a criminal court in Paris. Kardashian herself is expected to testify in court in Paris on May 13.

The defendants, whose average age is around 60, are described by the French press as "grandpa gangsters". In the courtroom sit a number of men, some of them bald, who are visibly of retirement age. The charges against the nine men and one woman range from armed robbery to unauthorized possession of weapons, deprivation of liberty and forgery of documents. The defendants, who are at large under judicial supervision, face severe penalties. The trial will run until May 23.

At the start of the trial, the focus is initially on formalities. The international media's interest in the criminal proceedings surrounding the American reality TV star is enormous. For once, the Paris court is also producing its 20-page dossier on the trial in English.

Glittering spectacle followed by brutal attack

When the attack occurred in 2016, Kardashian, who had become famous with a reality show about her family life, had already been in the French capital for a few days for the Prêt-à-Porter shows at Paris Fashion Week. As usual, she staged the trip in front of millions of people on her social media accounts. But then the glittering spectacle on the catwalks was followed by the night of horror on October 3.

While her sister was still accompanied by her bodyguard in a nightclub, Kim Kardashian was alone in the luxury residence in the chic 8th district of Paris. According to the indictment, five suspected robbers disguised as police officers suddenly appeared outside the city palace at around 2.30 am. Two of them took control of the doorman and forced him to take them to Kardashian's accommodation. Masked and at gunpoint, they reportedly stormed into Kardashian's room, gagged and bound her arms and legs with duct tape and locked her in the bathroom.

The thieves want to steal Kardashian's engagement ring

"The ring, the ring", the perpetrators are said to have shouted in English, as the newspaper "Le Monde" quotes from the US star's interrogation transcript. The thieves were probably referring to a piece of jewelry worth around four million euros, which Kardashian had posed with in photos on social media. It was the star's engagement ring with an 18.88-carat diamond.

Afterwards, one of the robbers is said to have shouted "money, money, money" in English. The perpetrators also took a box containing jewelry worth five million euros.

L.A. Calling: Simone's Hollywood StoriesSurfing, sun and cool bikes - Simone takes you to the famous Malibu Pier

Some of the perpetrators fled on bicycles with their million euro haul. Meanwhile, Kardashian was able to release her shackles herself and alert the bodyguard. "She is quite upset, but physically unharmed," said her spokeswoman the morning after. Kardashian later said in a broadcast that she had been afraid that the perpetrators would rape or shoot her. After giving her statement to the police, she flew back to New York.

How did the perpetrators know where the US star was?

Shortly after the attack, the police assumed that the perpetrators knew exactly where Kardashian was and that she was carrying valuable jewelry. According to the indictment, the perpetrators are said to have received the details of Kardashian's whereabouts from the co-defendant brother of a chauffeur who regularly worked for the US star when she visited Paris.

It is still unclear where the loot, worth millions, has gone. Analysis of cell phone data by the police revealed that the suspects were in the diamond city of Antwerp shortly after the robbery.