France’s prison service announced on Saturday, July 12, that it has launched an investigation after a man escaped by hiding inside his cellmate’s bag as the latter was released from jail after serving his sentence.
The 20-year-old inmate fled from Lyon-Corbas prison, near Lyon in southeast France, on Friday, July 11.
According to reports, the prisoner concealed himself in his cellmate’s laundry bag when the latter was leaving prison after completing his sentence.
The escaped inmate was serving multiple sentences, the prison service told AFP.
He “took advantage of his cellmate’s release to hide in his luggage and exit the facility,” the statement said.
The escaped prisoner was also being investigated in connection with organized crime, a source close to the case told AFP.
An internal inquiry is underway, and Lyon prosecutors have opened their own investigations, the prison service added.
Sébastien Cauwel, director of the prison administration, told BFMTV on Sunday, July 13, that the escape was the result of “an accumulation of errors” and “a series of serious malfunctions.”
“This is an extremely rare event that we have never experienced in this administration,” he stated.
