Jean-Luc Brunel Attempted Suicide Several Times, Says Lawyer - Wasn't Placed on Suicide Watch

Feb 20, 2022

“726 cameras…provide ‘quasi omnipresent’ coverage.” -CGLP

Jean-Luc Brunel, the late modeling agent turned procurer of underage girls for Jeffrey Epstein, “made several suicide attempts,” reported 20minutes, since his arrest and detention in December 2020. He was found dead by hanging in his cell around 1h30 on Saturday morning in Paris.

The Paris public prosecutor’s office also confirmed to 20minutes that despite these attempts Brunel was never placed in a special cell for those thought to be at an “imminent” risk of suicide. These cells, called “Cells of Urgent Protection,” (CproU by the French acronym), have rounded corners, paper clothes, and tearaway sheets.

According to 20minutes they are “very rare,” and “don’t exist in more than a hundred French penitentiary establishments.” Prisoners that are placed in them stay no longer than 24 hours while waiting to be transferred to hospital care.

The cell that Brunel was found in likely did not have cameras. He was being held at the La Santé (French for “Health") prison in the 14th arrondisement of Paris, in a wing designated for “vulnerable people,” where many “VIP” prisoners are held.

Marlon Ettinger @MarlonEttinger

An update thanks to a report found by @tennysonsarah1. The report says that 726 cameras are in the prison, providing a "quasi omnipresent" coverage. The images from the cameras, unless requested for an administrative investigation, automatically delete in around 4 days.

Marlon Ettinger @MarlonEttinger

I don't think there were cameras in the cell where Brunel was found hanged. Have seen it reported that there could have been cameras in the hallways though.

According to a 2020 report (.pdf downloads when opened) by the “Contrôleur général des lieux de privation de liberté” (CGLP), an independent French public body which produces reports on prison conditions in France, La Santé has a total of 726 cameras across its complex. These provide “quasi omnipresent” coverage.

These cameras are located at all exterior and interior exits, around the perimeters of the different wings, and in the hallways.

These cameras record and save images, but not sound. Their contents are automatically deleted every four days, absent a request from the administration for an investigation.

The recorded images aren’t deleted manually, but through a rollover in storage. When the hard drive the video is stored on reaches capacity, it pushes off the contents before it.

Guards circulate throughout the hallways to check on the prisoners, which was how Brunel was found hanged. They would check on him four to six times per night.