For a few hours, the sinister courtyard of the Fresnes penitentiary center (Val-de-Marne) was unrecognizable: instead of the prisoners' walk, they took part in a real karting race. delivered, notably facing a team of prison guards - who, incidentally, won the competition.
In a video shot on site on the day of the event (July 27) and broadcast this Friday, August 19, we see the competitors indulge in a boosted atmosphere in the tests of this "
KohLantess
", a "
Koh Lanta of the cities
" imagined and organized by Djibril Dramé, who has been organizing this type of event in the city of Fresnes for several years.
After having notably organized a sports competition of the same ilk between police officers and young people from the city, Djibril Dramé had therefore considered and then obtained to organize a new edition of "
KohLantess
" inside the very prison of Fresnes.
Only, the broadcast of the images of the event has sparked a lively controversy, since personalities on the right and in particular former supporters of Éric Zemmour have relayed them by criticizing the choice to let the detainees indulge in a spectacular way. to such sophisticated entertainment.
“
Can you imagine the victims and families of the victims who see their executioners go kart in the prison of Fresnes?
commented, for example, influencer Damien Rieu, sharing an excerpt from the film of the event – viewed hundreds of thousands of times in a few hours.
Faced with the outraged reactions of many Internet users, the Minister of Justice quickly expressed his dismay, believing that the video broadcast shows "
shocking images
".
Éric Dupond-Moretti clearly disavowed the very principle of the event, affirming that “
the fight against recidivism goes through reintegration but certainly not through karting!
The Keeper of the Seals, visibly surprised that such an initiative had been taken, announced the opening of an investigation "
so that all the light could be shed
".
An initiative validated at the highest level of the Directorate of Prison Administration
However, according to information from
Figaro
, the Ministry of Justice had approved the initiative at the highest level, which had gone up to the minister's office and had received the endorsement of the Directorate of Prison Administration - which has not yet wished to respond to our requests.
The publication of the video, originally scheduled for earlier in August, has also been delayed as the content has been carefully checked by the Directorate of Communication of the Ministry of Justice, in order to ensure ensure that no sensitive information is posted on YouTube by the organizers.
Difficult, therefore, for the ministry, to deny later having been informed of the event… Moreover, the director of the prisons of Fresnes had himself greeted the event on the social networks,
moment of fraternal commitment
".
"
KohLantess
" had also been the subject of a large number of publications in the press, including before the day of the event in Fresnes, and several journalists had been invited: the day after the karting race, a major report had notably appeared in
Le Parisien
.
Several unions of Fresnes prison guards had nevertheless expressed concern to their hierarchy about the holding of this competition, considering that it was not "
a holiday center
", to use the terms of a leaflet distributed by the Penitentiary Union of Wardens and brigadiers of the Fresnes penitentiary center (SPS), approved by their colleagues from FO who also stepped up to the plate.
Among the prison guards, we are particularly moved by a loose organization, and a certain number of liberties taken with the security instructions.
"
The organizers and the material used for the event entered through the back door of the prison, which is not usually recommended since we do not have gates or x-rays: the controls were botched this that day
“, Testifies one of them, who attended the entry of the organizers of the event on July 27.
Another also regrets that the director of the second district of the prison, an eminent representative of the management of the penitentiary centre, allowed herself to be thrown into the water by the prisoners when she was not taking part in the aquatic tests (a swimming pool had indeed also installed in the yard).
The holding of this "
KohLantess
" had been the subject of a major dispute in the ranks of the prison guards, and had caused heated exchanges with the management of the establishment.
The profile, finally, of the organizers of the event, had aroused the concern of certain supervisors.
Djibril Dramé and several of his associates are indeed known for having been in police custody following a prank in a polling station in the city, on the day of the second round of the presidential election, fully costumed and masked.
Arrested for "
disorders of the electoral operations by crowd, clamor and threat
", Djibril Dramé had finally received a reminder of the law, and had then pleaded on social networks for a "
schoolboy joke
".
