Two men stand trial at the judicial court of Batignolles on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, facing charges for burglarizing the Paris residence of François Hollande and Julie Gayet. According to reports from French outlets including Le Figaro, the break-in occurred on November 22 of the previous year at 7:52 PM, when the intruders exploited a security vulnerability to steal a watch and an iPad.
The Break-In and the Forgotten Vapoteuse
Investigators from the second district of the judicial police tracked down the suspects four days later in Seine-Saint-Denis, leading to their formal indictment and remand in custody under a judicial investigation opened for organized gang theft. According to Me Seydi Ba, counsel for one of the defendants cited by Le Figaro, the two men—aged 30 and 31—did not know the house belonged to François Hollande. They were merely wandering through the 20th arrondissement of Paris when they encountered the property, which was the only house where all the lights were turned off and the gate open.
A source close to the case told Le Figaro that the pair entered the home and walked out six minutes later without carrying anything visible. However, one of the intruders left his electronic cigarette behind, prompting him to return about thirty minutes later. During this second visit, he retrieved his vaping device alongside an iPad and a watch carrying significant sentimental value for the former President. Police officers assigned to monitor the residence noticed movement during this return, but the intruders had already fled.
Surveillance Vulnerabilities and Legal Arguments
Defense lawyers pointed to a breakdown in official protection measures as a contributing factor to the incident. According to Me Seydi Ba, a real malfunction occurred within the security detail. Following neighbor complaints regarding disturbances—specifically a car engine left running—police officers stopped parking directly outside the house and stationed themselves at the end of the street, monitoring the property remotely via a tablet connected to a video surveillance network. On the evening of the break-in, a thirty-minute technological glitch prevented officers from observing the intrusion as it happened.
Both defense attorneys emphasized that their clients possess clean criminal records and contested their ongoing detention. The trial at the judicial court of Batignolles proceeds as magistrates examine the circumstances surrounding the security failure and the roles played by the two defendants.
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