Paris night bus assault caught on CCTV

08/04/2009 / FRANCE

Paris night bus assault caught on CCTV

Footage of a violent assault in a Paris night bus has caused a stir since its release on the Web on Monday. The scene took place on December 7 last year around 3:45am at the Barbès-Rochechouart station in the north of the French capital.

The original video is 6 minutes long. The images have been blurred by FRANCE 24.

The assault, lasting several minutes, was filmed by CCTV cameras on a night bus operated by the Paris public transport company, the RATP. The victim, wearing a scarf, stands in the foreground. He is approached from behind by four youths, who then push and rob him. The young man tries to fend off the attack, aided by (few) passengers, but the situation spills over and he is beaten up. Powerless, the bus driver calls for help and remains in his seat [according to the SUD-RATP trade union, drivers have been instructed to remain in their cabins in such events].

According to French daily 20 minutes, the video was first posted on December 17 on a police officer’s Facebook account – which was shut down at midday yesterday. It was subsequently posted anew by several bloggers. The footage, which according to the RATP should not have gone public, has since been withdrawn from YouTube and Dailymotion. However, the images are still circulating on foreign-based websites.

A document produced by the French interior ministry, which lists cases solved thanks to CCTV, mentions the incident. The events are described just as they unfold on the video. The document states that two of the attackers have been identified and charged with assault.

SUD-RATP immediately denounced the management’s alleged habit of downplaying such incidents, which it claims are very frequent. The latest assault has no doubt breathed new life into the debate on the shortage of security personnel in public transport.

Contributors

Team Observers

Thierry Dend...

'Had I been in the driver’s seat, I would certainly have done the same'

Thierry Dendrael works as a machinist for the Paris public transport (RATP). He has already been assaulted twice during his work.

The driver set off what we call the ‘discreet alarm’. This alerts the nearest RATP security post, who can then dispatch a team to the scene. The CCTV footage, which is recorded non-stop on a hard disk, is then sent to the criminal investigation department. The leak probably came from the police.

You can tell that the driver is at a loss. Had I been in his place, I would certainly have done the same. We’re not paid to get punched. You mustn’t forget we all have our own families. I’ve driven night buses before and I can guarantee that when you’ve got drunkards on board in the middle of the night, you don’t want to get into trouble. Amid the fear and stress, it’s very difficult to know what to do. Even if you later feel like you should’ve done something.

Over the past four to five months there has been an increase in violence and assaults, including sexual assaults, against passengers. Attackers know it’s less risky to attack any random passenger than to take on the employee of a major company such as the RATP.

When the government boasts of “positive figures” in terms of security, it isn’t talking about public transport. Figures for petty crime are certainly improving, but in some neighbourhoods you can get up to 300 assaults on buses every year.

There are 70 buses operating in the Paris region at night, so we can’t put policemen in each of them. We have to decide what we want: a society that is totally policed or one that emphasises prevention?"

Thierry Dend...

France
Bus driver

Comments

beating on bus

Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Sun, 03/05/2009 - 05:17.

I would have beat them with my shoe or anything I could grab umbrella !!!!

Unregistered user

I just want to say to these

Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Thu, 16/04/2009 - 16:23.

I just want to say to these pathetic young people all my indignation. I do not want to hear again from their part “We are stigmatized in the French society". No, you are not. You only have the reputation you deserve.

You do not deserve what France is offering you. You claim you are French when it is about getting some money and others social aids. But being French, it is not JUST about having rights, you also have duties.

Stop saying you are “left apart”. You just do everything to be “out of the society”. You are a shame for France and do not be surprised not be integrated in the society. There are so many people in France, in a worst situation than yours, struggling everyday to survive and working honestly to improve their living conditions. Yes, some people are truly in need and they do not mess around like this. Is violence an answer?

Last but not least, about SUD-RATP. Assaults are so common that we do not have to talk about it? That is the most stupid reaction I have ever heard! Who do you want to protect? Time is over to find excuses and to protect these criminals.

The whole French society is fed up with this free violence. Why do you think in 2002 Le Pen was on the second round for the Presidential election? Because of fear and insecurity. Do we need to go to these extremes to be finally heard? Government should take drastic measures or the situation gets worst, socially and politically speaking.

Unregistered user

should all bus drivers have gun while they needed

Submitted by mingmaguire on Wed, 15/04/2009 - 12:36.

G&M

I don’t think this kind of things will be stopped by any human condemnation, as simply it’s not the fear for them to be shown on the public footage, but its obvious challenge to the law and moral behavior.
Not in Paris only , but everywhere else in the world, people get bullied, assaulted, abused, just no effective public protection.
At this matter, I suggest that public transport like in this city, all drivers deserve to have gun with them for very strict use, it’s the only way to protect the passengers lives and also themselves. Its not right to expect any “bus hero” to put themselves in danger for other peoples’ safety.

Unregistered user

Emphisize Prevention?

Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Tue, 14/04/2009 - 00:19.

Adding 70 cops to busses is cheap compared to the PR damage to Paris if Tourist go to Berlin instead due to fear when experiencing the Paris Nightlife. How do you preve4nt Govt turing a blind eye to Islamic violence? We all know from the cops testimony that Musloms are "off Limits' when it comes to being investigated or bringing assault charges. It's being kept quiet as Muslims hold a large political chip. I feel sorry for the middle class in Europe, your leaders have deserted you in exchange for a future role in the new government.

Unregistered user

In response to "emphasize prevention"

Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Fri, 24/04/2009 - 02:30.

You are right. I am an American from San Francisco and before this video I had no idea such violence occured so readily on Paris' public transportation.
I think it is better to keep the public safe, be it the french or tourists, because this sort of news cannot be swept under the rug. This video has been seen by many people around the world and it will eventually end up costing Paris and all of france tourism, therefore the cost of protection will be nothing in comparison to loss of tourist revenue. My husband and I travel frequently to France and I had my wallet stolen by two girls inside the Notre Dame Cathedral. If your not safe in a church,then where? When reporting it to a church official, he was so aloof about it and stated "oh..this happens all the time in here" What a shame to not be outraged or even sympathetic towards victims of any crime.
I love Paris and it would be a tragedy to see people lose so many jobs linked to tourism (hotel,store sales, restaurants, entertainment, taxi,car rental,museum..etc. All linked to this industry.

Unregistered user

Bus Attack

Submitted by Michael G. Dallaire (not verified) on Fri, 10/04/2009 - 12:15.

This is disgusting, although I can understand why people were unable or unwilling to help.

These criminals have been allowed to take over public space and turn it into their own private feasting grounds, punishing those who speak up or challenge their actions. Bystanders are unwilling to come to the victims aid out of fear of repercussions, and, in turn, wait for someone else to take action. If they banded together they could easily overpower the four individual thugs; however, they're dis-empowered and dis-organized. Isolated from a sense of community or belonging. The victim is just another face in the crowd, impersonalized by the big city, and not worthy of help from a crowd of strangers.

More energy was spent trying to cover this story up and hide the footage than there was trying to stop the incident.

More police officers and security personnel, although it doesn't hurt, will not solve this problem. Preventive social initiatives will be required. Why are these four young men involved in criminal activity in the first place? What is happening in the background, which caused them to pursue this lifestyle? Did they wake up one morning and decide they were going to attack and rob someone? Or, were they exposed to certain social ills which lead them in that direction? These questions, and many more, need to be answered before true progress will be made in resolving this issue.

I think everyone needs to avoid making knee jerk reactions (a.k.a, More police! more police! Our city is falling apart... It wasn't like this in the past). This does not solve anything, is entirely unhelpful and, quite frankly, uneducated. This type of circumstance, however tragic, occurs around the world. It is not a problem particular to Paris or any other major city. In my own and much smaller city, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, incidents similar to this have occurred on our own public transit system. Despite the constant calls for police and security improvements and subsequent growth in such fields, they continue to happen. Sometimes the problem will shift across space, from one community to another, but the underlying issue remains.
How can we prevent these young men, and more importantly others like them, from pursuing a lifestyle of wanted destruction and terror?

In closing, I would like to wish the innocent victims on that bus a speedy recovery. Hopefully no one else will have to experience the same.

Unregistered user

it's common

Submitted by xaye (not verified) on Thu, 09/04/2009 - 04:33.

This is not surprising. A friend of mine who took a bus in Paris at 2am,
witnessed an assault on a woman passenger. NO one came to her aid.
I chided my friend, who is a male, for not helping the assault victim.
He said ALL passengers were horrified by the five drunkard loudmouth youths who
immediately picked on the woman passenger who told them to be quiet.
Her head was banged up. He said it was after the youths got off the bus,
the passengers asked the woman if she was OK. It's pathetic no one
came to her aid. The police should start to put a plain cloth police in all
late night buses for the safety of passengers. Taking the buses is no more safer
than taking the metro train in Paris.

Unregistered user

Unfortunate

Submitted by Derek M. (not verified) on Thu, 30/04/2009 - 03:00.

Unfortunately this behavior is not isolated to France. In the United States, it is too frequently seen that people will stand by and watch others get victimized, to the point of death, without ever lifting a finger to help.

While personally opposed to violence, I have, on several occassions jumped in to fights that were none of my business. So far, that has always caused the attackers to run. They are true cowards.

It is sad to see what is happening to Western Civilization. We, those who share Latin as our ancestoral tongue, have become weak and unwilling to fight for that which is right.

I hope the yound man in this video recovers.

Unregistered user

Not quit true.

Submitted by African (not verified) on Wed, 08/04/2009 - 19:28.

"A society that is totally policed or one that emphasises prevention?" Well,the last time i checked, i thoght policing is part of prevention. What are you talking about man? What is the difference? Can you please explain it to me?

I do not understand your reasoning.

Unregistered user