A Moroccan man looks for a house to squat in, but the courts permanently ban him from France
A homeless man of Moroccan origin claims to have entered a house in Nîmes to squat in it. After coming face-to-face with the owner, he was sentenced to two years in prison and a permanent ban from French territory.
The events took place on August 2, on Rue de Barcelone. The defendant forced open a roller shutter and broke a window to enter a dwelling he thought was empty.
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In a bedroom, he came face-to-face with the owner. He then fled after returning the phone he had hidden in his underwear. Thanks to the victim’s report, the police quickly identified and arrested him.
Before the Nîmes criminal court, the man admitted the facts and apologized. He said he had not intended to burgle the property, but was looking for «a house to squat in».
«It was a house under renovation; I thought there was no one there,» he explained. He admitted that he had already occupied another building site for eight months after finding it the previous year.
Two years in prison instead of the sentence sought
The prosecutor reminded the court that a home must remain a place where its occupants feel safe. She sought a one-year prison sentence, including six months suspended with probation, as well as his continued detention.
The defense referred to the defendant’s «downward spiral» since his separation from his wife. His lawyer said that he had obtained a permanent employment contract and begun the process of finding accommodation, but was still missing a payslip to secure an apartment.
She also relied on the owner’s statements, in which she said that the man appeared to be just as surprised as she was and probably thought the house was uninhabited.
The court ultimately handed down a harsher sentence than the prosecution had sought: two years in prison without suspension, with continued detention, reports Midi Libre.
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The convicted man is also subject to a permanent ban from French territory. He must pay 500 euros to the victim for her legal costs, while his material damages will be assessed at a later date.
