Roubaix Residents Decry Police Inaction as ’Samaoui’ Hypnosis Thefts Surge

Sonia is one of the victims of the so-called theft under hypnosis or the Samaoui. She had 250,000 euros worth of gold stolen and filed a complaint at the Roubaix police station, reports La Voix du Nord. She has joined the relatives of victims who have been denouncing this type of theft for several months. They are dismayed by the inaction of the law enforcement agencies to put an end to this practice. "We have information, but no one is interested, it’s a shame because we are forced to conduct the investigation ourselves, we bring everything on a silver platter to the police and nothing is moving forward," fumes Yasmina, the daughter of a previous victim.

Despite the publication of photos of suspects from a previous theft in Saint-Étienne, the phenomenon is growing. "Some victims have recognized them in the photos," says another relative who is surprised that the previous arrests have led to nothing. "Do we have to wait for families to take justice into their own hands for things to move? In any case, if it happens, we won’t be able to say we didn’t know."

For two years, Yasmina has been doing detective work. Not only does she keep track of the victims, but she also collects their testimonies. "At the Roubaix police station, I was expressly told that this was a file that burned the hands," Yasmina confides. "What does that mean? Several complaints have been filed, not to mention all the women who dare not tell their husbands or children. We also have testimonies from women who tell us that the Roubaix police station refuses to take their complaints, on the pretext that there is no violence. This is a significant phenomenon."