Florence Cassez
Today we won’t be reading about the serious issues that Mexico faces because Florence Cassez has once again grabbed the spotlight in all the local news sources.
The 36 year old French citizen was arrested in 2005 for kidnapping. However, the Mexican authorities were soon forced to admit that her detainment was botched from the start.
Someone (with major clout) determined that both television ratings and the Mexican authorities’ stature would soar if her capture could be shown on prime-time. And indeed, Ms. Cassez’ arrest appeared “live” on the screen. But the fact is, she had been arrested the previous day. What the public saw was a reenactment. Yes, she was actually returned to the “rancho” and re-arrested for the cameras.
Ms. Cassez has always claimed her innocence, saying that she was unaware that there were kidnap victims tied up in rooms close to where she was staying with her Mexican boyfriend. This declaration drew as much scorn as the staged raid because three of the victims positively identified the French woman as part of the gang that held them captive. At the controversial trial, Florence was found guilty and sentenced to a 60-year prison term.
From her cell, poor Florence screamed her innocence to the four winds and her lawyers had plenty of grounds for a re-trial, based on the illegality of her arraignment. Technically, they were absolutely right but it also seemed crystal clear that their client had been a key player in the crime.
Now after a seven year diplomatic kerfuffle, Florence Cassez has been released. She made a b-line for the airport and is now with her family in la belle France.
Have her Mexican cohorts been released? Of course not. Diplomatic pressure from France opened the lock and chains to Florence’s cell but the French civil libertarians cared not one franc for her former comrades. This case is a perfect example of how Mexicans are not afforded the same rights as other nationals – neither abroad nor in their own country.
Before his death, Mexican Nobel prize winner Carlos Fuentes said that if Mexico bowed to the pressure from France and the French woman was released it would be a travesty of justice. Mr. Fuentes must be turning in his grave over what happened yesterday.
The Florence Cassez case serves as a lesson to all branches of Mexican law enforcement: procedure must be followed and civil rights upheld. Their failure to do so seven years ago is the reason that a convicted criminal has been released on a technicality. She will probably go on to write a best-selling book and the time she spent incarcerated in Mexico will pay her way for the rest of her life.
I wonder what the kidnap victims and their families think of this.
I was under the impression that Mexico no longer keeps any foreign criminals. I read that they send them back to their home country, thereby saving tons of money. The U.S. is having a prison housing crisis due to Mexico sending back U.S. criminals, even if they be college students braking drug laws. I thought this was a good move for Mexico…saves on having to house the criminals and saves on the need for new prisons.
Rainie
I think that happens to some degree for certain types of crimes but this woman was a convicted kidnapper. I imagine that is in a league of its own.
Joanna
Interesting tale – thanks for the heads-up!
Thank you for your comment. We do need to be aware of such history because hopefully the knowledge keeps us from repeating the same mistakes
This is another story that I have been following (like Dominga) Read yesterday that she was released.Saw the reentactment on French TV a few years ago, with interviews of people who knew that it was a reenactment. So, in this case, the reenactment really ruined the case, and made someting that was serious into a TV spectacle.
The TV spectacle corrupted the case and once that had occurred, Ms. Cassez’ release was a matter of time. One wonders who on earth dreamed up this scenario, and could they truly have believed they could keep the farce under wraps?
The Economist often lets its wry wit fly — as it did in this case. “The ruling, reversing a decision issued last year, should improve the country’s difficult relations with France.” What was missing was the post script — the country’s historically difficult relations with France following France’s humiliating retreat from Mexico in the 1860s.
The reasons and the intrigue behind the French return to France in the 1860s is a tale for another day. As a lawyer you must have found this case to be unbelievable
It is extremely sad. There have been a number of cases in the last few years where foreign nationals have escaped punishment while their Mexican confederates suffer the full impact of Mexican law. I look forward to the day when the Mexican judicial system irons ut a number of its current flaws.
Yes, steps are being taken but they are small steps and they are taken very slowly.