Karting, swimming pool and other activities … The images of the program “Kohlanness in prison”, broadcast on YouTube and Twitter on Friday August 19, have sparked a controversy on social networks in recent days, which the Minister of Justice would have liked past. Eric Dupond-Moretti announced on Saturday the opening of an investigation into the organization of this event which took place on July 27 in the Fresnes prison (Val-de-Marne), citing “shocking images”.
After the shocking images from Fresnes prison, I immediately ordered an investigation to shed light. The fight against recidivism goes through reintegration but certainly not through karting!
— Eric Dupond-Moretti (@E_DupondM) August 20, 2022
But were the Keeper of the Seals and his services unaware of this filming and the activities planned in this context? How was the event planned and organised?
The director of the prison Fresnes, Jimmy Delliste, was good sure aware. In a tweet dated July 27, he also congratulated the organizers of this “Kohlanness in prison”. A few days later, on August 4, he posted another tweet reporting positive feedback from the “multiple actors in the operation at the Fresnes penitentiary center”.
Requested by franceinfo, the Ministry of Justice explains on Monday August 22 that “the initiative for the event was taken and managed directly between the prison and the organizers. A bipartite agreement was signed and clearly mentions karting, but neither the minister’s office nor the prison administration saw this covenant.” France info was able to consult this text. There is a good mention of a “Obstacle Kart course” in category “Filming organization”. This document was signed on July 25 by Jimmy Delliste and the show’s producer, Enzo Angelo Santo.
The management of the prison administration appears at the top of this document but, according to the Chancellery, it was not the recipient and discovered the karting activity on the same day.
The agreement between the organizers and the prison, we have not seen it. We should have seen her because there was abnormal activity. The investigation will try to understand who made the decision and how far back it went.
The Ministry of Justiceat franceinfo
The communication department of the Ministry of Justice had given its agreement for the media coverage of the event, “without knowing the program in detail”in particular the karting activity, we continue at the Chancellery. The Parisian and Konbini had also obtained accreditations to cover the day. The report from Parisianpublished on July 28, had not sparked controversy.
This same communication department viewed the images of the video shot by the organizers, in order to blur and anonymize elements “For safety reasons” before posting to YouTube. A classic procedure, we are assured at the ministry. Did the images of karting raise eyebrows at that time? “It was too late anyway”responds the entourage of the minister, hammering that the information did not go up to the office of Eric Dupond-Moretti.
“What bothers is that the images are published”, laments on franceinfo the general controller of places of deprivation of liberty, Dominique Simonnot. It is next from a tweet from the creator and presenter of Kohlanness, Djibril Dramétaken up by Damien Rieu, a far-right figure, whom the controversy has swollen.
“It was the power of the image that thrilled the situation”admits the Chancellery, which also defends the action of Eric Dupond-Moretti for the reintegration of prisoners: “We can’t accuse the minister of being against reintegration, he’s totally into it. It’s the karting side that’s shocking. If they had had a singing competition, it wouldn’t have been a problem. “.