Seven prison officers from the Saint-Martin-de-Ré central were on trial after the death of an inmate in troubled circumstances in 2016.
The court of La Rochelle (Charente-Maritime) delivered its judgment this Thursday, January 27 in the trial of seven prison guards of Saint-Martin-de-Ré tried after the death of an inmate in 2016.
The heaviest sentence is a one-year suspended prison sentence as well as a ban on exercising and carrying a weapon for five years. It was pronounced against one of the agents prosecuted for acts of violence by a person holding public authority. According to our information, he will appeal his sentence.
Three of his co-defendants received suspended sentences of 18 months to 2 years in prison. They were prosecuted for the same facts. Finally three of the other supervisors, including two executives, were released.
Also according to our information, the prosecution will not appeal the decision. During the trial in the La Rochelle court at the end of November, the public prosecutor had required of the suspended prison sentence against four of the seven defendants, and release for the other three.
The seven prison officers were appearing after an inmate died in murky circumstances, lAugust 9, 2016.
Sambaly Diabaté, 33, was found dead in his cell. While resisting his transfer to the disciplinary unit, the prisoner, reported by prison staff as agitated and saying he was “threatened” and “bewitched”, had bitten a guard before being gagged, handcuffed and having feet bound with tape. One or more officers held him face down by pressing down on his body.
Forensic experts concluded that his death was due to “multifactorial mechanical asphyxia”, combining orofacial suffocation caused by the towel serving as a gag, impaired respiratory mechanics and chest compression.