France: Art Thief Attacks France3 Journalists Covering His Trial – Aggressor Should Be Charged
Location: France, Sarreguemines
Date: March 13, 2023
Journalists Tiphaine Niederlaender and Christelle Rewiako assaulted by art thief Stéphane Breitwieser. The reporters were covering his trial in criminal court when he lunged at, spat, and insulted them. The Coalition For Women In Journalism is alarmed by this assault. The aggressive nature of this incident is abhorrent. Journalists should never be subject to such an attack. Police should investigate and courts should prosecute Breitwieser immediately.
On March 13, serial art thief Stéphane Breitwieser physically and verbally attacked France 3's Tiphaine Niederlaender and Christelle Rewiako. The reporters were covering his trial at Sarreguemines criminal court when he assaulted them. Breitwieser accused them of being responsible for him losing his job. He also hurled a sexist insult at the journalists.
"We were crossing a parking lot in front of the Sarreguemines court, camera in hand," says Christelle Rewiako. "A man got out of his car and jumped at my colleague Tiphaine Niederlaender's throat, pushing her. He insulted us and asked us to stop filming him, while the camera was off. He also spat on me, before a passer-by intervened." France TV and the two reporters have filed complaints with police.
Rewiako said Breitwieser approached them later to apologize. He then climbed on the railings of court stairs pretending to jump before his wife intervened.
Stéphane Breitwieser is a well-known criminal in France. He served years in prison for robbing almost 200 museums throughout Europe. He is currently on trial for stealing art from museums in Lorraine, Alsace, and Germany. On March 13, the court sentenced him to 34 months in prison. Breitwieser has sought media attention throughout his criminal career. In a 2019 profile in GQ magazine he detailed his exploits.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism denounces all forms of attacks on journalists exercising their profession. The behavior of Breitwieser towards the France3 reporters was despicable. He should be prosecuted and punished for this assault. We call on the police to investigate the incident and charge Stéphane Breitwieser immediately.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.