Three former employees of'A luxury hotel in Terres Basses' were tried on Thursday, September 17, for four thefts committed in guests' rooms. E. and T. were sentenced to eight months suspended sentencewhile L. receives four months suspended.
The case begins in July 2025, following a complaint from a couple of holidaymakers to whom €9400 in cash had been stolen from their roomThe investigation, conducted using CCTV footage and the hotel's computer files, reveals that Several magnetic cards had been duplicated..
E., a receptionist, is quickly identified. He implicates two colleagues and friends: T., an IT technician, who admits to having entered some rooms, and L., who admits to having informed his colleagues about the movements of clients in exchange for a share of the loot.
At the hearing, the three defendants also mentioned other flights who would have been committed by employees before their involvementIt is on this context that the defense is particularly insisting. According to T.'s lawyer, Some customers have already reported disappearances of money without any complaint being filed.
Several other thefts never reported?
“There is a omerta “in the luxury hotel industry,” she argues. She claims that the establishment prioritized refunding customers in order to protect its image. “They are being asked to take responsibility for a whole chain of malfunctions”, she adds, describing three young employees facing a hierarchy that she describes as difficultThe plaintiff, on the other hand, describes a “well-oiled system” set up by the three defendants.
The court ultimately sentenced E. and T. to eight months' imprisonment, suspended, and L. to four months, suspended. They will also have to pay a collective fine. €6000 for commercial damages and to pay a 1500 € fineAll three had no prior criminal record. _DR