Italian woman arrested at appeal hearing over police assault
By Zak Jackson, MonacoViews Editorial
A 30-year-old Italian woman was arrested in court during her appeal after biting, spitting on and insulting Monaco police officers.
A 30-year-old Italian woman found herself detained in the Palais de Justice this week, arrested the moment she appeared for her own appeal hearing. She had been convicted in absentia on 2 March 2026 and sentenced to four months in prison after an incident in which she bit, spat on and verbally abused police officers in Monaco. Because she had failed to turn up for that original trial, a warrant had been issued for her arrest.
For the appeal, she arrived at court as a free woman, accompanied by her lawyer, apparently confident the matter could be resolved through the normal process. Instead, officers moved to arrest her at the bar before proceedings got under way, and she was tried under escort rather than as a free defendant.
The case underlines how seriously Monaco's courts treat assaults on police officers, even when the original altercation might seem minor by comparison with other offences. For residents, it is a reminder that failing to appear for sentencing does not make a conviction disappear. It simply adds the complication of an arrest warrant to an already serious charge.