Bobigny court detention center faces misconduct allegations

The Bobigny judicial court detention center in Seine-Saint-Denis is facing scrutiny following reports of substandard conditions and legal developments involving police misconduct.

Lawyers and the Seine-Saint-Denis Bar Association have denounced the ‘indignity’ of conditions faced by minors detained following recent student protests. Reports describe detainees being held in unsanitary, cold cells without mattresses, using only thermal blankets, and lacking basic hygiene products. The prosecutor, Alexandre de Bosschère, acknowledged that the conditions were not ‘acceptable’ and committed to limiting the overnight detention of minors to strictly exceptional circumstances.

Separately, the Paris Court of Appeal has ordered the release of two police officers, aged 24 and 36, pending further investigation. The officers are accused of aggravated rape and sexual assault against a woman held at the Bobigny court basement in October 2025. While the officers admit to sexual relations with the victim, they maintain the encounters were consensual. The court's decision to allow their release under electronic monitoring and house arrest was made against the recommendation of the prosecution, which cited risks of witness pressure and public disorder.