Yunice Abbas, one of the suspects involved in the 2016 armed robbery of celebrity Kim Kardashian, has stated his intention to accept responsibility for his role and apologise in court. The trial, which commences on Monday in Paris, sees Abbas among ten individuals charged with armed robbery and kidnapping related to the high-profile heist.
71-year-old Abbas has publicly admitted to participating in the crime, telling The Associated Press, "I will apologise. I mean it sincerely." The trial is expected to run through to 23 May, with Kardashian herself anticipated to testify in person. The reality TV star, 44, has previously recounted the traumatic experience, describing the fear she felt as armed robbers forced their way into the apartment where she was staying during Paris Fashion Week, threatening her with a gun and stealing millions of dollars’ worth of jewellery. She notably expressed fears of being raped or killed during the ordeal.
Abbas explained his role as a lookout stationed at the reception area on the ground floor, ensuring the escape route was clear. He asserted that he was unarmed and did not directly threaten Kardashian, yet acknowledged his shared responsibility for the crime. Arrested in January 2017, Abbas served 21 months in prison before being released under judicial supervision. In 2021, he co-wrote a French-language book titled I Sequestered Kim Kardashian.
According to investigators’ accounts, Kardashian was forcibly tied up with plastic cables and tape during the robbery, and men demanded her valuable jewellery, including her engagement ring worth millions. She recounted to investigators how she was tied up while intruders ransacked her apartment. During a 2020 interview on David Letterman’s Netflix show, she tearfully recalled thinking, “This is the time I’m going to get raped. I’m like, ‘What is happening? Are we gonna die? Just tell them I have children. I have babies, I have a husband, I have a family’.”
The concierge of the residency, held at gunpoint and compelled to direct the robbers to Kardashian’s apartment, was also psychologically affected by the events. Abbas’ DNA was found on plastic ties used to restrain the concierge.
Abbas recounted that minutes after the raid began, his accomplices handed him a bag of jewellery. While fleeing on a bicycle, the jewellery bag caught in the front wheel causing him to fall and spill its contents. He then collected the jewels and escaped. The next day, a pedestrian found a diamond-encrusted cross in the street and handed it to the police. This item was the only piece recovered from the $6 million estimated haul.
At the time of the robbery, Abbas said he was unaware of Kardashian’s identity, only knowing she was the wife of a rapper. “Until the next morning, when I heard on TV about the influencer. That’s when I understood who she was,” he remarked. He plans to detail his involvement during the trial but declined to name his accomplices, saying, “I’m only an outsider. I’m not the one who masterminded the case. I take my share of responsibility.”
Most of the accused deny involvement, with the exception of Abbas and another man whose DNA was also linked to the crime scene.
Thierry Niemen, the journalist and co-author of Abbas' book, explained that Abbas wanted to “tell his own truth” amid what he perceived to be exaggerated or inaccurate portrayals. The book also revealed insight into the FBI’s role in assisting French police, including how agents helped identify Abbas’ DNA despite his precautionary use of gloves. Niemen described the FBI’s oversight of an investigation on French soil as “a superlative” scenario, given Kardashian’s stature as a leading influencer and the case’s prominence on social media in 2016.
Abbas' earnings from his book have been frozen pending trial outcomes. Kardashian’s lawyer, Michael Rhodes, stated that she wishes for the trial “to proceed in an orderly fashion in accordance with French law and with respect for all parties to the case.”
Source: Noah Wire Services