A picnic outing at the Palace of Versailles for prisoners: the initiative makes the police unions scream

Les syndicats de police demandent à ce que soit annulée cette visite, prévue le 27 juin prochain. ILLUSTRATION MAXPPP – Vincent Isore

Une semaine après l’attaque mortelle d’un fourgon pénitentiaire dans l’Eure, et à quelques mois des Jeux Olympiques de Paris 2024, une sortie de détenus organisée au château de Versailles fait polémique et suscite la colère des syndicats de police.

A picnic that sparks debate. A week after the fatal attack on a prison van in Eure, in which two agents were killed and repeat offender Mohamed Amra escaped, an outing organized for around fifteen detainees from the Toul prison (Meurthe-et-Moselle) at the Palace of Versailles arouse the anger of the police unions.

Very upset, the latter expressed their dissatisfaction and requested the cancellation of this outing, the program of which included a visit to the castle, a walk in the park and a picnic, the Next June 27.

Conscient des précédents fiascos lors de ces «sorties pédagogiques» et à quelques jours des #JO2024, c’est encore à nos collègues d’assurer une mission supplémentaire ?
Pour @AlliancePN78 cest non !
LE CHEMIN DE LA POLITIQUE PÉNALE DE FERMETÉ EST ENCORE BIEN LOIN… #Versailles pic.twitter.com/Xp2e39PQMz

— Alliance Police Nationale 78 (@AlliancePN78) May 21, 2024

"Aware of previous fiascos during these "educational outings" and a few days before the Olympic Games, it is still up to our colleagues to carry out an additional mission ?", s&rsquo ;is outraged National Police Alliance 78 in a post on X.

An "irresponsible and scandalous choice"

The union denounces a choice "irresponsible and scandalous", and considers that & quot;it is not up to the Yvelin police officers, who are already extremely busy, to secure this type of event".

"If the outing was organized on a career forum, to put prisoners in contact with potential employers, why not. But the leisure outing with picnic, the message is not audible", specifies Jérôme Vitry, departmental delegate Alliance 78, in comments reported by Sud Ouest.

350 km for a picnic

"We are very surprised", affirms for its part the Un1té Police union in the columns of Figaro. "This is really not the right time", indicates his secretary department, Tony Vallée, pointing out the significant distance between the prison and Versailles – 350 km – and the difficulty in making the journey safe. "Is it really necessary to travel 350 kilometers for a picnic ?&amp ;quot;, s’questions the trade unionist.

For its part, the Ministry of Justice says that all detainees will be "handpicked" and placed under "optimal protection" and specifies that the visit is not made for entertainment but above all to "to work on something which will be useful for the return to civilian life".

As our colleagues from Sud Ouest recall, several incidents have already occurred during educational outings organized with prisoners. On trips to the zoo, the opera or by bike, several inmates have already tried to escape.