On June 23, a 20-year-old prisoner was burned to death in the disciplinary section of the Villepinte remand center. It is 7:30 p.m. when black smoke escapes from his cell in building B. His cries of pain and cries for help pierce the walls and chill the other prisoners with fear. He was however particularly watched and also very disturbed. He often mutilated himself. An investigation has been opened by the Bobigny prosecutor’s office to find the causes of death. It is still ongoing.
Following this death, eleven detainees signed a collective text in the form of a call for help: “We do not want to die in prison”, they write. In question: the security conditions within the remand center. They remember that a similar tragedy happened in 2015.
“They smelled the smell of grilled flesh, inhaled blackish and toxic fumes”
On the evening of June 23, those in nearby cells feared for their lives. The smoke had risen to their dormitories. “They smelled the smell of grilled flesh. They inhaled blackish and toxic fumes. It was a real trauma, ”explains Me Salomé Cohen, lawyer for a detainee. A prisoner has filed a complaint, others should follow.
This common mobilization was at the origin of another procedure. This Wednesday, a summary release was examined before the administrative court of Montreuil, filed by the lawyers of a detainee and supported by the Bar Association of Bobigny. They wonder about the fire safety standards of the remand center which now houses 826 prisoners. This Friday the administrative court rejected their request.
Me Yvan Bonet speaks of “major dysfunctions in Villepinte”. He underlines the successive visits of the sub-commissions of the Sdis (departmental security and emergency service). All point to numerous shortcomings: the intervention plan intended for the firefighters had still not been sent to them during their last inspection carried out three days after the deadly fire. Staff fire safety training is considered insufficient. A favorable opinion will still be given. But it has not always been so.
“300 anomalies on the security system” identified in 2017
In 2017, the Sdis had identified up to “300 anomalies on the electrical system”. He concluded as follows: “We are not in a position to issue an opinion on the continued operation of the Villepinte remand center”. Socotec, a control office, had asked the establishment to review the operation of the automatic smoke detectors.
Deficiencies are denounced by both prisoners and staff.
The OIP (international observatory of prisons) reports in a thorough investigation, the edifying testimony of an employee collected after the tragedy of June 23. “The intercom went off, then the alarm went off, but not in the right building.” This has been recognized by the Ministry of Justice. “When they came back equipped, they had to look for the cell in which the fire had started. It was a complete mess”. “In Villepinte, they do not feel safe,” summarized M e Bonet who claims that the court compels the prison administration to carry out this work of compliance urgently. To these doubts about the security system are added other questions about the mobilization of relief that evening. This is the meaning of the request from M e Aurélie Tancelin who requests communication of the video tapes: “We have not seen any seals corresponding to these video surveillance images”, she laments.
The functioning of the alarm system in question
The images could raise shadow areas. Especially the deadlines. How long did it take between the outbreak of the fire and the moment when the supervisors noticed it? “We screamed, knocked on doors for almost an hour,” the detainees told their lawyer. Firefighters and supervisors said they had moved “in less than 7 minutes”. Between these two versions, the malfunction of the alarm system is at the heart of the questions. The answer will have to be provided by the criminal investigation.
To this rain of criticism, the representative of the Ministry of Justice objected: “Never the prefect, the firefighters, the police would have allowed themselves to leave this establishment open if it did not meet fire standards”. He is supported by a technician who specifies that his role is not to say whether or not the intervention of the personnel was in conformity. His analysis is purely technical: “The fire panel, connected to the security post, was replaced in 2019. The intercoms worked properly. But we deplore a lot of degradation ”.
12 night guards for 826 prisoners
As for the videos, they are in the hands of the Bobigny prosecution. “Never was there any question of not providing them or of erasing them,” said the ministry official. But he also invokes reasons of “public order and security of the remand center”.
The OIP which followed the debates does not admit to being surprised. “It’s appalling, but alerts like the one on Villepinte, we have them frequently. The opinions of the safety sub-committees are only advisory. Some establishments have negative opinions but do not carry out the work for lack of sufficient funds”, indicates Sarah Bosquet. She also recalls that in prison, security is much more difficult to ensure at night due to overcrowding but also to the number of staff. “At Villepinte, on the night of June 23, there were only 12 guards for more than 800 detainees. People live in fear that something will happen because the staff will take much longer to intervene”.
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