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Hasna Aït Boulahcen: 'party girl' who became Paris suicide bomber Hasna Aït Boulahcen: 'party girl' who became Paris suicide bomber
(35 minutes later)
A female terror suspect who blew herself up during a police siege in the Paris suburb of St-Denis has been described by friends and relatives as an unstable, lost soul who until recently smoked, drank vodka and liked to party. A terror suspect who blew herself up during a police siege in the Paris suburb of St-Denis has been described by friends and relatives as an unstable, lost soul who until recently smoked, drank vodka and liked to party.
Hasna Aït Boulahcen, 26, whose passport was found in a handbag in what remained of an apartment after she triggered a suicide vest, was said to have “lived in her own world” after a troubled and disruptive childhood.Hasna Aït Boulahcen, 26, whose passport was found in a handbag in what remained of an apartment after she triggered a suicide vest, was said to have “lived in her own world” after a troubled and disruptive childhood.
Her mother said she had been “brainwashed” by extremists and apparently taken up with an Islamic State cell led by Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the suspected ringleader of last Friday’s bombings and shootings in Paris that left 129 dead. Her mother said she had been brainwashed by extremists and apparently taken up with an Islamic State cell led by Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the suspected ringleader of last Friday’s bombings and shootings in Paris that left 129 dead.
Neighbours on the run-down estate where her mother lived said they had last seen her 10 days ago. They said they had immediately recognised Aït Boulahcen’s voice from an amateur video taken of the police shootout and shown on French television. Neighbours on the run-down estate where her mother lived said they had last seen her 10 days ago. They said they had immediately recognised Aït Boulahcen’s voice from an amateur video of the police shootout, which was shown on French television.
On the film, a member of the armed intervention force shouts: “Where’s your boyfriend?” A woman’s voice replies: “It’s not my boyfriend”, before a volley of shots and a loud explosion is heard. On the film, a member of the armed intervention force shouts: “Where’s your boyfriend?” A woman’s voice replies: “It’s not my boyfriend,” before a volley of shots and a loud explosion is heard.
Neighbours said they had been shocked when the young woman, described as a talkative tomboy who wore jeans and sunglasses, had suddenly transformed into an apparently devout Muslim around six months ago. Neighbours said they had been shocked when the young woman, described as a talkative tomboy who wore jeans and sunglasses, transformed into an apparently devout Muslim around six months ago.
Aït Boulahcen had exchanged her trademark cowboy hat and boots for a long robe and a full veil. Aït Boulahcen exchanged her trademark cowboy hat and boots for a long robe and a full veil. “She started wearing the jilbab [the long, loosely fitted outer garment] then a month later she was wearing the niqab [which covers the face],” a man called Youssouf, who said he was her brother, told AFP. “She was living in her own world. I’d never known her study religion or even open a Qur’an.”
“She started wearing the jilbab [the long, loosely fitted outer garment] then a month later she was wearing the niqab [which covers the face],” a man called Youssouf, who said he was her brother, told AFP. “She was living in her own world. I’d never known her study religion or even open a Qu’ran.” Born in August 1989, Hasna Aït Boulahcen was a toddler when her family moved to the Rose-des-Vents (Compass Rose) estate, known locally as The 3,000 (the number of apartments), in Aulnay-souys-Bois, whose romantic name belies its reputation as one of Paris’s most troubled suburbs.
Born in August 1989, Hasna Aït Boulahcen was a toddler when her family moved to the run-down estate of Rose-des-Vents (Compass Rose) known locally as The 3,000 (the number of apartments) at Aulnay-souys-Bois, whose romantic name belies its reputation in one of Paris’s most troubled suburbs.
Her parents, both from Morocco, separated shortly after the move, and her father moved out and went to work for Peugeot in Lorraine, eastern France.Her parents, both from Morocco, separated shortly after the move, and her father moved out and went to work for Peugeot in Lorraine, eastern France.
French media reported that Aït Boulahcen’s childhood was troubled and that she was placed with a foster family from when she was eight until she was 15. French media reported that Aït Boulahcen’s childhood was troubled and that she was placed with a foster family from the age of eight until she was 15. “At first everything went well. She was a child like any other,” said her foster mother, who insisted on remaining anonymous.
“At first everything went well. She was a child like any other,” her foster mother, who insisted on remaining anonymous, said.
However, there was one thing that marked her out from other children, the foster mother added: she never showed or sought the slightest sign of affection.However, there was one thing that marked her out from other children, the foster mother added: she never showed or sought the slightest sign of affection.
Her foster mother believed her troubles followed the monthly visits to one of her parents. “For me, the problems stemmed from there,” she said. On 11 September 2001, she was shocked to discover Aït Boulahcen “applauding in front of the television” at reports of the attacks on the Twin Towers in New York. Her foster mother believed her troubles followed the monthly visits to one of her parents. “For me, the problems stemmed from there,” she said. On 11 September 2001, she was shocked to discover Aït Boulahcen “applauding in front of the television” at reports of the attacks in New York.
In the end she was “doing just what she wanted”, she said, sometimes shouting, other times sulking and refusing to speak. “She would roll herself up in her duvet with her head hidden. She would say the devil was there in the night,” the foster mother added. In the end she was “doing just what she wanted”, sometimes shouting, other times sulking and refusing to speak. “She would roll herself up in her duvet with her head hidden. She would say the devil was there in the night,” the foster mother said.
At the age of 15, Aït Boulahcen walked out on the foster family. At the age of 15, Aït Boulahcen walked out on the foster family. “When she left, I told myself, she is lost,” said the foster mother, adding that she had not seen her former charge since 2008. On Thursday, when she saw her again, it was on the television and Aït Boulahcen was dead.
“When she left, I told myself, ‘she is lost’,” said the foster mother, adding that she had not seen her former charge since 2008. On Thursday, when she saw her again, it was on the television and Aït Boulahcen was dead.
Youssouf, her brother, said: “As she grew up, she lacked points of reference and in the end chose this carefree attitude, running away more and more often, hanging out with dubious people.”Youssouf, her brother, said: “As she grew up, she lacked points of reference and in the end chose this carefree attitude, running away more and more often, hanging out with dubious people.”
He added: “She was living in her own world. She was not interested in studying religion. She was permanently on her phone, looking at Facebook or WhatsApp. I told her to stop all this, but she wouldn’t listen. She ignored my numerous attempts to give her advice, telling me I wasn’t her dad, or her husband and I should leave her alone.”He added: “She was living in her own world. She was not interested in studying religion. She was permanently on her phone, looking at Facebook or WhatsApp. I told her to stop all this, but she wouldn’t listen. She ignored my numerous attempts to give her advice, telling me I wasn’t her dad, or her husband and I should leave her alone.”
Youssouf said his relationship with his sister was complicated. Youssouf said his relationship with his sister was complicated. “She spent her time criticising everything. She refused to accept any advice, she didn’t want to sort herself out. On the rare occasions that I spoke to her it was to tell her to behave better, to have a better attitude, to be more easygoing about her strict dress code.
“She spent her time criticising everything. She refused to accept any advise, she didn’t want to sort herself out. On the rare occasions that I spoke to her it was to tell her to behave better, to have a better attitude, to be more easy-going about her strict dress code.
“I was never very close to her because we lived apart but during the opportunities I had to talk to her she was full of enthusiasm, although her instability always dragged her down, she was not grounded and went from one life project to another, without question.”“I was never very close to her because we lived apart but during the opportunities I had to talk to her she was full of enthusiasm, although her instability always dragged her down, she was not grounded and went from one life project to another, without question.”
Youssouf said that in one of their last conversations his sister had told him: “Live your life and I’ll live mine”. He added added that she went to live with a friend in Drancy about three weeks ago. Youssouf said that in one of their last conversations his sister had told him: “Live your life and I’ll live mine”. He said she went to live with a friend in Drancy about three weeks ago.
Khemissa, one of Aït Boulahcen’s close friends, told Le Parisien she had a reputation as a “crazy girl … who smoked dope and danced all night on the street, in rapper or cowboy mode, with her cowboy boots”. Khemissa, one of Aït Boulahcen’s close friends, told Le Parisien she had a reputation as a “crazy girl … who smoked dope and danced all night on the street, in rapper or cowboy mode, with her cowboy boots.
“She had a joie de vivre, she loved life. But she got on to a bad path, she allowed herself to be influence,” Khemissa said. “She told me she was going to Syria to fight, but because she was a bit crazy, I didn’t take her seriously.” “She had a joie de vivre, she loved life. But she got on to a bad path, she allowed herself to be influenced,” Khemissa said. “She told me she was going to Syria to fight, but because she was a bit crazy, I didn’t take her seriously.”
Another friend said: “She drank in the evenings. During Ramadan she would drink until drunk. Vodka, that was her favourite tipple.”Another friend said: “She drank in the evenings. During Ramadan she would drink until drunk. Vodka, that was her favourite tipple.”
Those who knew Aït Boulahcen at Creutzwald, where her guitar-playing father, 74, lived, described her as an “extrovert” who “loved partying and going to clubs” as well as drinking and occasionally smoking. Those who knew Aït Boulahcen at Creutzwald, where her guitar-playing father lived, described her as an extrovert who “loved partying and going to clubs” as well as drinking and occasionally smoking.
“She had lots of boyfriends, but nothing serious. She had no real friends, just people she hung out with. When you don’t have a family it’s easier to get into bad things,” one friend said. “She had lots of boyfriends, but nothing serious. She had no real friends, just people she hung out with. When you don’t have a family it’s easier to get into bad things,” one friend said. “She wasn’t religious at all,” another added.
“She wasn’t religious at all,” another added.
At one point she was registered as the owner of a building company, Beko Construction, which appears to have gone into liquidation two years ago.At one point she was registered as the owner of a building company, Beko Construction, which appears to have gone into liquidation two years ago.
Her mother, 58, who was taken into police custody after her daughter’s links with the terrorists was revealed, said Aït Boulahcen had undergone a “metamorphosis … a brainwashing”.Her mother, 58, who was taken into police custody after her daughter’s links with the terrorists was revealed, said Aït Boulahcen had undergone a “metamorphosis … a brainwashing”.
She added: “She spent all her time criticising, wouldn’t accept any advice, and had some very dubious friends”.She added: “She spent all her time criticising, wouldn’t accept any advice, and had some very dubious friends”.
Neighbours in Aulnay-sous-Bois told journalists the last time they saw her was 10 days ago. Neighbours in Aulnay-sous-Bois told journalists that the last time they saw her was 10 days ago. At this time she was already under police surveillance for suspected drug dealing, thought to be “feeding the radicalised, in arms and money”.
At this time she was already under police surveillance for suspected drug dealing thought to be “feeding the radicalised, in arms and money”. The French authorities confirmed on Friday that it was Aït Boulahcen who had blown herself up in St-Denis in the early hours of Wednesday. Her death in the siege would have been instant, Jean-Michel Fauvergue, who led the raid by French anti-terrorist police, told journalists, describing how he saw her head fly through the window.
The French authorities confirmed on Friday that it was Aït Boulahcen who had blown herself up in St-Denis in the early hours of Wednesday. “That’s when we saw a human body, a woman’s head, fly through the window and land on the pavement, on the other side of the street,” Fauvergue said. “A suicide bomber had just exploded. The blast was so devastating that a supporting wall moved.”
Her death in the siege would have been instant, Jean-Michel Fauvergue, who led the raid by French anti-terrorist police, told journalists after describing how he saw her head fly through the window.
“That’s when we saw a human body, a woman’s head, fly through the window and land on the pavement, on the other side of the street,” Fauvergue said.
“A suicide bomber had just exploded. The blast was so devastating that a supporting wall moved.”