Who is Valentin Gendrot? Valentin Gendrot Biography and Wiki
Valentin Gendrot is a French journalist who infiltrated the country’s police force has described a culture of racism and violence in which officers act with impunity.
Valentin Gendrot claims the violence was so frequent it became almost banal and describes one incident where he was forced to help falsify evidence against an adolescent who had been beaten by an officer.
“It really shocked me to hear police officers, who are representatives of the state, calling people who were black, Arab or migrants ‘bastards’, but everyone did it,” he says.
“It was only a minority of officers who were violent … but they were always violent.”
Gendrot also says he was shocked to discover how badly trained and paid police recruits are and how the constant stress and daily hostility and violence they face drives officers to depression and suicide.
The journalist spent almost six months in a police station in one of Paris’s tough northern arrondissements where relations between the law and locals are strained.
In his book, Flic (Cop) published on Wednesday, Gendrot reveals that he was given a uniform and a gun after just three months’ training, and later sent out on patrol.
He says he witnessed officers assaulting youngsters – many of them minors – on an almost daily basis. Gendrot describes a “clannish” system that ensures officers close ranks to protect their own, leading to a sense of impunity.
“They don’t see a youngster, but a delinquent … once this dehumanization is established everything becomes justifiable, like beating up an adolescent or a migrant,” he writes, adding: “What astonishes me … is at what point they feel untouchable, as if there’s no superior, no surveillance by the hierarchy, as if a police officer can choose – according to his free will or how he is feeling at that particular moment – to be violent or not.
“In my commissariat, there were racist, homophobic and macho comments every day. They came from certain colleagues and were tolerated or ignored by others.”
Flic is published by Editions Goutte d’Or, a niche company that produces three books a year. It has been published in extreme secrecy. It was printed in Slovenia and bookshops in France ordered it without knowing the details.
The Guardian is one of three publications – along with Le Monde and Mediapart – allowed to read the manuscript in the offices of the publishers’ lawyer and interview the author.
“I wanted to go undercover in a police commissariat so I could show what we never see. In France, there are two big taboos: police violence and malpractice and police suicides. In France, people either like the police or detest them. I thought it had to be more nuanced,” he told the Guardian.
“This book is not anti-police. It’s a factual account of the day-to-day life of a police officer in a difficult district of Paris.”
Gendrot joined the Police Nationale as an adjoint de sécurité – a contracted and salaried “special constable” – in 2018 using his real name.
A Google search reveals Gendrot has no great internet or social media footprint, but in any case, he says, the police recruiters did not delve into his background. He did change his round spectacles to look less “bookish”.
After three months’ training at police school in St-Malo, in Brittany – he finished 27th out of a class of 54 – Gendrot was posted to a police psychiatric unit for 15 months before landing a job at a station in Paris’s 19th arrondissement.
Here, as officer number 299145, he was issued his uniform and pistol. The station covers one of Paris’s grittier districts with 190,000 inhabitants and a particular problem with juvenile delinquency, drugs, and prostitution.
On one of his first patrols, he describes how a colleague beat up a teenage migrant in the back of the police van. “Two weeks in uniform and already I’m complicit in the beating up of a young migrant,” he writes. The incident was never written up. “What happened in the van, stays in the van,” he notes.
On another occasion, Gendrot and his patrol were sent to investigate after a complaint about youngsters with a speaker. When his colleague humiliated one of the youths and the youth responded verbally, the youth was beaten, arrested, and charged.
“We could have confiscated the speaker and gone. Or said nothing and gone. Instead, it escalated and he was beaten,” says Gendrot.
Worse still, when the beaten boy lodged an official complaint against the police, Gendrot’s colleagues concocted a story and insisted he gave false sworn evidence to internal investigators, exposing him to a charge of falsifying evidence, which carries a hefty fine and prison sentence.
Gendrot says he wrestled with his conscience before signing the false statement, but to have refused would have blown his cover.
“The officers made up an account of the event to explain his injuries. Then the kid lodged a legal complaint. Whatever happened, we had to close ranks,” he writes.
Gendrot said officers were often snowed under with form-filling and random “targets”, worked in decrepit offices, drove battered cars, and often had to buy essential equipment from their own pockets, leading to high levels of depression.
In 2019, 59 police officers committed suicide, a 60% rise on the previous year. A Facebook group set up to support “distressed” officers had several thousand members in just a few days.
Flic hits French bookshops as the police force faces criticism on several fronts. The liberal and often random use of teargas and rubber bullets during more than a year of gilets Jaunes demonstrations has been widely criticized.
The death of George Floyd in the US revived anger in France over the death of Adama Traoré in police custody in 2016. In January this year, 42-year-old Cédric Chouviat died of a heart attack allegedly caused by asphyxia suffered as he was arrested by Paris police.
“I can only say what happened at that particular police station while I was there. I cannot talk about other police stations or the police in general. This book is a factual account of my time with the police,” Gendrot says.
“Everyone knows there is a problem, that the police service is not a happy place and it’s time to do something. Maybe the book will change things.
“As Montesquieu says: give power to a man and they will use it. The police have power. The uniform gives power. And they use it.”
10 Quick Facts About Valentin Gendrot
- Name: Valentin Gendrot
- Age: 32 years old
- Birthday: To be updated
- Zodiac Sign: To be updated
- Height: Average
- Nationality: French
- Occupation: Journalist
- Marital Status: To be updated
- Salary: To be updated
- Net worth: To be updated
Valentin Gendrot Age and Birthday
Gendrot is 32 years old as of 2020, he was born 10 1988, in Brittany, France. However, the exact date of birth of the French reporter is not yet known to the public. As such, it is difficult to establish his actual age or when he celebrates his birthday. Nevertheless, we are keeping tabs and will update you once this information is available.
Valentin Gendrot Height and Weight
Gendrot stands at an average height and has moderate weight. He appears to be quite tall in stature of his photos, relative to his surroundings, are anything to go by. However, details regarding his actual height and other body measurements are currently not publicly available. We are keeping tabs and will update this information once it is out.
Valentin Gendrot Education
Gendrot worked on local newspapers and radio after graduating from journalism college and carried out several undercover investigations – including working on a Toyota production line and in a Lidl supermarket – before joining the police.
Valentin Gendrot Parents
Gendrot was born and raised by his parents in Melbourne. Our efforts to find out more about her family came to no avail as no such information is publicly available. Thus, the identity of Gendrot’s parents is still unclear. It is also not known if he has any siblings. Nevertheless, this section will be updated as soon as it is available.
Valentin Gendrot Wife
Gendrot has not gone public with her relationship, it is not publicly known whether he is married or in a relationship. His partner will be updated as soon as possible.
Valentin Gendrot Salary and Net Worth
Gendrot has not revealed his net worth. He is a simple person and never likes to attract public attention by publicly displaying his wealth. However, this section is under review, we will update you when details about his net worth are revealed.
Valentin Gendrot Measurements and Facts
Here are some interesting facts and body measurements you should know about Valentin Gendrot.
Valentin Gendrot Bio and Wiki
- Full Names: Valentin Gendrot
- Popular As: Gendrot
- Gender: Male
- Occupation / Profession: French reporter who joined the police
- Nationality: French
- Race / Ethnicity: White
- Religion: Not Known
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
Valentin Gendrot Birthday
- Age / How Old?: 32 (2020)
- Zodiac Sign: Not Known
- Date of Birth: 1988
- Place of Birth: Brittany, France
- Birthday: Not Known
Valentin Gendrot Body Measurements
- Body Measurements: Not Available
- Height / How Tall?: Not Known
- Weight: Not Known
- Eye Color: Blue
- Hair Color: Brown
- Shoe Size: Not Available
- Biceps Size: Not Available
- Chest Size: Not Available
- Waist Size: Not Available
- Hip Size: Not Available
Valentin Gendrot Family and Relationship
- Father (Dad): Not Known
- Mother: Not Known
- Siblings (Brothers and Sisters): Not Known
- Marital Status: Not Known
- Husband/Spouse: Not Available
- Dating / Girlfriend: Not Known
- Children: Sons (Not Known) Daughter(s) (Not Known)
Valentin Gendrot Networth and Salary
- Net Worth: Under Review
- Salary: Under Review
- Source of Income: Under Review
Valentin Gendrot House and Cars
- Place of living: To be Updated
- Cars: Car Brand to be Updated
Frequently Asked Questions About Valentin Gendrot
Who is Valentin Gendrot?
Valentin Gendrot is a French journalist who infiltrated the country’s police force has described a culture of racism and violence in which officers act with impunity.
How old is Valentin Gendrot?
Gendrot is an American national born in 1988, in Brittany, France.
How tall is Valentin Gendrot?
Gendrot stands at an average height, he has not shared his height with the public. His height will be listed once we have it from a credible source.
Is Valentin Gendrot married?
Details about his love life are still under review. We will let you know when he gets in a relationship or when we discover helpful information about his love life.
How much is Valentin Gendrot worth?
Gendrot has not yet revealed his net worth. We will update this section when we get and verify information about the wealth and properties under his name.
How much does Valentin Gendrot make?
Details about Gendrot’s salary are not yet disclosed. However, information about how much he makes will be updated as soon as it is available.
Where does Gendrot live?
Because of security reasons, Gendrot has not shared his precise location of residence. We will immediately update this information if we get the location and images of his house.
Is Gendrot dead or alive?
Gendrot is alive and in good health. There have been no reports of him being sick or having any health-related issues.
Where is Gendrot Now?
Gendrot was pursuing his career in journalism. He is currently working as a police.
Valentin Gendrot Social Media Contacts
- Youtube
- Tiktok
- Website
Reference:
We acknowledge the following websites that we have referenced as we were writing this article.:
- Ashley Brown
- Richard Morris
- Frances Fisher
- Frances Wolf
- G W Bailey
- Lisann Valentin
- Alex French
- Tamarris L Bohannon
- Youtube
- Tiktok
- Website
Reference:
We acknowledge the following websites that we have referenced as we were writing this article.:
- Ashley Brown
- Richard Morris
- Frances Fisher
- Frances Wolf
- G W Bailey
- Lisann Valentin
- Alex French
- Tamarris L Bohannon