A French court has decided to delay the trial of a suspect involved in the Louvre jewels theft due to concerns over media attention and the need for a fair trial process.
The court in Bobigny, located north of Paris, has rescheduled the suspect’s trial for charges related to damaging public property to be held in April. The defense lawyers argued that the extensive media coverage of the Louvre robbery hindered their ability to adequately prepare for the trial. The prosecutor agreed that the case must be adjudicated in a calm and unbiased environment, which was not possible amidst the current media frenzy and recent events.
The 39-year-old suspect, identified as Abdoulaye N., is accused of breaking into the Louvre and stealing Crown Jewels valued at $102 million. He was apprehended six days after the robbery at his residence in Aubervilliers, a suburb north of Paris where he was born. Preliminary charges against him include theft by an organized gang and criminal conspiracy. Additionally, three other suspects are in custody, believed to be part of the group of four individuals captured on video using a freight lift to access the museum’s window during the heist.
Reports from Le Parisien newspaper and BFM TV revealed that the suspect, known on social media as “Doudou Cross Bitume,” has been sharing videos of motocross stunts in Paris and Aubervilliers since the late 2000s on platforms like YouTube, Dailymotion, and TikTok.
The suspect, who had initially been scheduled to face trial on minor charges related to damaging a prison cell in 2019, provided limited statements to investigators and admitted partial involvement in the Louvre theft. Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau disclosed that the suspect had a prior conviction in a 2015 theft case in Paris, linked to another individual arrested in connection with the Louvre heist.