Val-de-Marne: In Villejuif, a prisoner found hanged in his cell

A 35-year-old man committed suicide by hanging himself Thursday evening in his cell at the Villejuif semi-open prison (Val-de-Marne), the Créteil prosecutor's office announced Friday. An investigation into the cause of death has been entrusted to the Kremlin-Bicêtre police station, the public prosecutor's office said, adding that an autopsy was to be performed.

Shortly before 7:30 p.m. Thursday, the man was placed in a secure cell after an altercation with another inmate and due to his impaired blood alcohol level. The victim was finally discovered an hour later during a patrol, in cardio-respiratory arrest after hanging himself with his jacket.

The inmate had been incarcerated since May 5, with a sentence set to expire on April 11, 2026, according to the prosecutor's office. In France, a prisoner commits suicide "every two or three days," according to the International Prison Observatory website.