Témoignage d'un gardé à vue souhaitant gardé l'anonymat, résident permanent en France.

It happened to me in the 13th arrondissement in the middle of February. I remember it was a very cold day and I was returning home quite late. Truly saying it was just after the party at my friends’ house and I was a bit drunk, however I decided to drive my car and it was a big mistake. Even though the distance I had to ride was of around 10km and I perfectly knew the road, I think there was a moment, and I don't remember it clearly now when I didn't stop on the red light. That was a crucial mistake of my evening and I hadn't even imagined how significantly it would change my nearest life and mental state. There was a police car that appeared suddenly from nowhere and they followed me showing with a sound to stop. I stopped and went out of the car. The events that followed were really fast and I don't remember perfectly how it happened, but they asked me to follow them in commissariat because the rule I broke was a severe one and it demanded a more profound analysis than just a 'solving-on-the-spot'. So I went with them. The cell they made me stay in till the morning «when the right person responsible for such situations comes» was of 3sq meters and I had to share it with a fellow who was sleeping drunk surrounded of his vomit on the small bank. The smell in the cell was disgusting and I remember that I quickly realized the gravity of the whole situation when I faced the closed door of the cell and the strict and short phrase of the policeman who told me «we'll come for you in the morning». 8 horrible hours, the time without any information, any explanations, the time of fear and not understanding. I forgot to say that my cell phone was out of battery, but I wasn't allowed to make any phone call from the commissariat, actually the two policemen who brought me there pretended they didn't here my demand and they succeeded in doing all the procedure of putting me in the cell quite quickly so that I don't have time to pronounce any comment or critics. Then they probably left home, because the people who I saw in the morning where different from those who placed me under this sacred GAV, so they also didn't reply to my efforts to protect my rights when I asked them to be able to make a phone call. «You did it yesterday, the phone call», they told me and my trying to persuade them that I didn't do any phone call was just useless, they wouldn't believe me. In the morning I was released. Without any explanation and without any moral compensation or excuses. This was the weirdest part. I was just released, because somebody «more important» came, looked at me, asked several question to his colleagues and he made a sign that I can go. The thing is that I work in France in an international company and I use English and German for my work, my knowledge of French is really basic, so I couldn't even understand what exactly they where discussing about me, nor could I explain or protect myself. Nobody would talk English to me, I felt alone, scared and not protected. And I was released just like that after a sleepless night of nightmares, close to a heatstroke. Is this the right way the justice should work? I address my words to all the people who suffer or suffered from the French penal system and I tell you, people, don't get fooled by any reform! They will make you be able to contact a lawyer, but do you have any idea about how much it will cost you? Do you have any smallest idea about how expensive your protection will cost you? It is a reform that makes everybody close eyes to the main point, - the French penal system is rotten from the inside and there is no cure for that. It is not at all a democratic country and it can't be called like that when the situations as the one that happened to me have place. It is unthinkable to continue living under a fear or being stopped and taken to a 3sq meters place without any explanations and without a right to do anything. The presence of a lawyer will not change a single thing, believe me. I prefer to remain anonymous, because I don' t want to have any persecution after this publication even if it is a student thing, but I feel a great need to share my experience and tell to the world, - the penal system of France dooms the country.