Escape from Versailles Courthouse: Attempted Murder Suspect on the Run

A 19-year-old man, on trial for attempted murder, escaped from the Versailles judicial courthouse on Friday, June 6. He managed to slip away from police custody and fled through the building’s main entrance.

According to a police source, the defendant had asked to use the restroom while awaiting the judge’s decision on his potential incarceration. He took advantage of the moment to escape, prompting an extensive manhunt.

Investigation Opened, Victim Under Protection

The alert was raised immediately. The Versailles public prosecutor’s office confirmed the incident and has opened an investigation for escape, entrusted to the Division for Organized and Specialized Crime (DCOS, formerly the criminal police). The victim of the attempted murder — which occurred in January in the Île-de-France region — was informed of the suspect’s flight and placed under protection.

Officers from the anti-crime brigade (BAC) visited the homes of both the fugitive and the victim, but their search yielded no results. Around 11:30 p.m., a man called emergency services to report that someone had emerged from a bush, forced his way into his vehicle, and ordered him to drive to the Versailles-Chantiers train station. The driver said he later lost track of the man.

Surveillance footage confirmed the fugitive’s presence near the station, walking alongside another man, before entering a building. Despite several sightings during the evening, he had not yet been apprehended by the end of Saturday, June 7.