Kim Kardashian was bound and gagged in a violent Paris heist. Now, she'll face her assailants in court.

Nearly a decade after the terrifying Paris hotel robbery that left Kim Kardashian bound, gagged and fearing for her life, the reality star will come face-to-face with her alleged attackers in court in April.

The French criminal trial is scheduled to run from April 28 to May 23 in Paris, with Kardashian expected to testify in person.

Ten suspects will stand trial on serious charges including armed robbery, kidnapping, and membership of a criminal gang. In a reflection of the gravity of the case, it will be tried before a jury – a procedure reserved for only the most serious crimes in the French judicial system.

The 2016 robbery saw Kardashian held at gunpoint while thieves made off with an estimated $15 million AUD worth of jewellery, including her 20-carat engagement ring from then-husband Kanye West.

Watch: Kim Kardashian discusses the Paris robbery. Post continues below.

What happened the night of the robbery?

It was just after one o’clock on the morning of October 3, 2016 when the Night Guard at Hôtel de Pourtalès opened the door to three men who he thought were police. Soon, there was a pistol at his back and handcuffs on his wrists.

The three men who had arrived on bicycles wanted money. “Is Kanye West here?” they said.

In the hotel’s penthouse — the ‘Sky Penthouse’, which attracted a rate of more than $16,000 per night — reality TV star Kim Kardashian was alone in her bedroom, wearing only her bathrobe, after a day at Paris Fashion Week.

Her best friend, Simone Harouche was in a downstairs bedroom and her bodyguard, Pascal Duvier, was with her sisters Kourtney Kardashian and Kendall Jenner at a nightclub, L’Arc Paris.

Kardashian believes her security guard's absence was a detail noticed by her assailants through her social media posts.

When the thieves burst through the door, they grabbed Kim by her ankles and dragged her off the bed.

“Don’t kill me, I have babies, don’t kill me, please, I have babies! I’m a mum! Take whatever you want,” she reportedly screamed.

Earlier that day, Kim and her friends had a conversation over lunch about what they would do if ever faced with a robbery. Kim had said, "Take everything. Just take everything. Nothing is important."

That was put to the test.

The assailants bound her feet and hands. They carried her to the bathroom. They wrapped tape around her mouth and head to stop her screaming.

The robbers ransacked the room, taking an estimated $9–10 million worth of jewellery, including two diamond Cartier bracelets, a gold and diamond Jacob necklace, Lorraine Schwartz diamond earrings, a gold Rolex, and more. Kim was left bound and terrified in the bathtub as the men fled the scene.

In their hasty escape, one robber accidentally dropped a diamond-encrusted cross worth $53,400 AUD – the only item ever recovered from the heist. The remainder of the bounty of jewellery is believed to have been sold on the black market.

Kardashian managed to free herself from the restraints and raised the alarm, saying, "I removed the tape from my hands and my mouth, I removed the plastic. I realised they were a bit young [or inexperienced] because of the way they strapped me."

Soon, her bodyguard and family returned.

The next day, the Kardashians flew home to the U.S., and Kim retreated from the public eye for months, traumatised and shaken.

Kim Kardashian's New Crisis. Post continues below.

Kim spoke about her experience in 2017.

On an episode of Keeping up with the Kardashians in Season 13, Kim said she was certain she was going to be raped. “He grabs my legs and I had no clothes on under [my robe],” she said on the show.

“He pulls me towards him at like the front of the bed and I thought, ‘OK, this is the moment you’re going to rape me’. I fully mentally prepped myself… and he didn’t.”

Even more heartbreaking was the certainty Kim had of her imminent death. In that certainty, she was most worried about her sister, Kourtney, who she knew would be the one to find her body.

“They had the gun up to me and I just knew that was the moment that they were just totally going to shoot me in the head,” Kim said.

“I just prayed that Kourtney’s going to have a normal life after she sees my dead body on the bed.”

The thieves left when Kim’s phone lit up with a phone call from Duvier. “I told [the thieves], ‘You know who is ringing now? It is her bodyguard. If she doesn’t answer, he will come with police’,” the night watchman, who was in the apartment held at gunpoint, told Vanity Fair.

"I was Snapchatting that I was home and that everyone was going out," Kim said. "So I think they knew Pascal [Duvier] was out with Kourtney and that I was there by myself. They had this window of opportunity and just went for it."

She stopped posting to Instagram for a month after the attack.

French police launched a massive investigation, eventually arresting 17 suspects in connection with the robbery. It was later revealed that the gang had been following Kim for up to two years, monitoring her movements and social media activity.

Key suspects and developments.

Amongst those arrested is Aomar Ait Khedache, known as "Old Omar," believed to be the ringleader.

Yunice Abbas, one of the accused, has admitted his involvement and even published a book about the heist, showing little remorse and describing how the group tracked Kardashian's movements.

Yunice Abbas' book he has since written about the attack. Image: Getty

The investigation led to the arrest of multiple suspects in January 2017, with DNA evidence and surveillance footage playing a role in identifying the perpetrators.

Why was the trial delayed for so long?

The trial faced a series of significant delays, with several key factors contributing to this lengthy wait.

The French judicial system experienced a backlog due to a series of high-profile terrorist trials, which took precedence and clogged the court dockets.

The global pandemic further slowed legal proceedings across France, as courts faced closures, staffing shortages, and restrictions on in-person hearings.

And French authorities were reportedly cautious about holding a major, high-profile criminal trial just before the 2024 Paris Olympics.

What's next?

This trial marks a significant moment as Kardashian will confront her assailants in court, with her appearance currently scheduled on May 13.

The proceedings are expected to generate global media interest, not only due to Kardashian's fame but also because of the unprecedented nature of the crime — a high-profile celebrity targeted in one of the most secure cities in the world during a major fashion event.

Kardashian's testimony is anticipated to be a pivotal moment in the trial, offering a personal account of the trauma she endured, and potentially influencing the outcome for the accused.

If found guilty, the suspects could face lengthy prison sentences under French law for armed robbery, kidnapping, and related offences.

The trial will likely prompt renewed discussion about celebrity security, privacy, and the risks posed by social media sharing. It may also influence how high-profile cases are handled in France moving forward.

Feature Image: Getty/Keeping Up With The Kardashians.