Woman in Ilan Halimi case involved in prison love affair

Emma Arbabzadeh, 23, used as bait in 2006 kidnap, murder of French Jew was involved in an affair with her prison warden, Florent Gonclaves.

By BEN HARTMAN
Kidnap victim Ilan Halimi 311 (photo credit: AP Photo/Benoit Tessier)
Kidnap victim Ilan Halimi 311
(photo credit: AP Photo/Benoit Tessier)
The woman who was used as bait in the 2006 kidnapping and murder of French Jew Ilan Halimi has been involved in a love affair with her 41-year-old male warden, who could now face prison time, the French newspaper Le Parisien on Friday.
According to the report, warden Florent Gonclaves reportedly fell in love with 23-year-old Emma Arbabzadeh, and, along with another guard, began trading gifts, money, and special treatment with the inmate for sex.
The charges against Gonclaves include illicit dealings with a prisoner and the smuggling of money and forbidden objects. He could face up to three years in prison if convicted, Le Parisien reported.
According to Le Parisien, the warden, the guard, and Arbabzadeh have all confessed to the charges against them. The paper quotes a source close to the case as saying that Gonclaves said he had fallen in love with Arbabzadeh and said he was looking to build a life with her after her release.
Arbabzadeh, also known as Yalda, is serving a nine-year-sentence for her role in the kidnap and murder of Halimi, 23, who she helped lure into the hands of a gang known as "the barbarians". On January 20th, 2006, Yalda lured Halimi to an apartment block in a Paris suburb, where he was set upon by the gang, who held him captive for 24 days, demanding money for his release. Eventually Halimi was found naked handcuffed to a tree, on the verge of death and badly burnt.
Gang leader Youssouf Fofana was sentenced to a minimum of 22 years for the crime, which he said he carried out because he was convinced all Jews are rich.