Overview
- At around 7 a.m. on Saturday, a guard discovered a cell at Douai Prison with a smashed sink and toilet wall, followed by a second guard spotting a head protruding through removed steel bars among brick debris.
- The 23-year-old detainee had dismantled cell bars and bricks to create an escape route before being apprehended and questioned by law enforcement.
- The detainee remains in custody pending questioning and is slated for transfer to a higher-security facility under Justice Ministry plans.
- Local Force Ouvrière union leader Samuel Sénéchal cited renovation-related security gaps and staff shortages as factors in the breach and demanded the detainee’s swift relocation.
- Authorities plan to boost security with increased patrols and a comprehensive audit of the remand center’s operations.