Paris. A storm is breaking over the French justice system. Leaked documents reveal that a convicted child killer, identified only as 'Michel D.', was granted early release despite a damning psychological assessment warning he remained a 'clear and present danger'. The records, obtained by this desk, show the 47-year-old was freed after serving just 12 years of a 25-year sentence. Sources inside the Ministry of Justice confirm the decision was made by a parole board panel that ignored a psychiatrists report stating D. showed 'no evidence of rehabilitation'. Within months, he was arrested for possession of child pornography. But the damage was done.
This is not a French problem. It is an EU problem. The European Arrest Warrant system, designed to fast-track extradition between member states, funneled D. back to France from Spain where he had fled after the leak. But the very system that brought him back is now under scrutiny. Sources say the Spanish authorities had no knowledge of the full extent of his risk profile. A European Commission spokesperson said 'data sharing mechanisms are being reviewed' but would not comment on specific cases.
Britain was warned. In 2023, a Home Office briefing seen by this newspaper cautioned against aligning too closely with EU justice protocols post-Brexit, citing 'inconsistencies in risk assessment standards' across member states. One official called it 'a recipe for disaster'. Now, France is reeling. The victim's mother told us 'they released a monster. And the system that should have protected us is broken'.
The question is how many more Michael D.s are walking free? Our investigation continues. But for now, the blood is on the hands of Brussels bureaucrats who valued paperwork over public safety.
