Moroccan Inmate Flees French Prison to Check on Family After Earthquake, Faces Additional Sentence

Authorized to leave at certain times, the inmate did not report to the prison integration and probation service on Thursday. And for good reason. Having learned of the devastating earthquake that struck Morocco, he decided to join his family in the Netherlands to check on his aunt living in Morocco, reports 20 minutes.

Four days after his escape, the 42-year-old man returned to France and turned himself in to a police station where he was taken into custody. It was a "stupid reflex. My client was afraid for this aunt. He panicked," regrets his lawyer.

Sentenced to six years in prison for a drug trafficking offense as a repeat offender, the Moroccan was due to regain his freedom in July 2025. He is now also sentenced to six months in prison for the escape.