Beatings, burns and hellish torture: Head of the 'child pickpocket' gang from Disneyland goes to prison
A French court sentenced Roberto Hamidović to eight years in prison for leading a crime family that sent children to pickpocket tourists in Paris, mainly at Disneyland and the metro. The children, some as young as 10, stole around €25,000 a day, and if they failed to meet their quota, they were beaten, burned, and sexually abused. His wife Leila was sentenced to six years in prison, and five other defendants received five to seven years. All will be deported from France after their release.
A French court sentenced Roberto Hamidović (48), the head of a Bosnian-Romani crime family operating in Paris, to eight years in prison and a fine of €500,000. His wife Leila was sentenced to six years in prison and a fine of €300,000. Five other defendants, including two of their sons and their nephew, received five to seven years in prison. Upon release, all will be deported from France. The seven family members were convicted of human trafficking after the court determined they forced children—primarily their own, but also others—and young women to steal from passersby. The investigation, launched in late 2022, revealed that pickpocketing squads composed of girls and young women, some as young as 10, were transported in groups to Charles de Gaulle Airport or Disneyland in Paris, mainly during evening parades, where they were required to pickpocket foreign tourists. The children stole around €25,000 a day. If they failed to steal enough, they were beaten, burned, or sexually abused. They were instructed to tell police they were 12—one year below the age of criminal responsibility in France. The gang was suspected of being responsible for up to 75% of thefts in the Paris metro. While the children were housed in cheap hotels or abandoned buildings, the men lived a life of luxury with casinos, upscale hotels, gourmet restaurants, luxury cars, and expensive jewelry. Roberto and Leila allegedly amassed around €2 million. The current trial is the third for the family; in 2013, Roberto's uncle was sentenced to life in prison, and in 2025, a similar sentence was handed down to Mehmet Hamidović. In a few weeks, the trial of another branch of the family will begin.