French jewel thief's fate sealed with a kiss

A jewel thief who sealed his crime with a kiss was caught after detectives analysed the DNA on his victim's cheek. A forensic science team that came to the scene swabbed the woman's cheek to isolate the genetic profile.

The 20-year-old robber and an accomplice had tied up, gagged and threatened the owner of a Paris jewellery store after following her home. They then poured what they claimed was petrol over her head and told her they would set it alight if she did not give them the codes for the shop alarm.

When one of the robbers returned from clearing out the shop of jewels, the pair decided to release the 56-year-old woman, who had been tied to a chair for four hours.

"The crook then gave the victim a kiss on the cheek, in what was apparently a sign of compassion," a police source told Le Parisien newspaper. As soon as she was free the victim alerted the police.

"We hoped that we could isolate the genetic fingerprint of her assailant," the police source said. "And indeed his DNA was identified and registered in the national genetic print database."

A few months later detectives said they discovered that the DNA matched a man who was by then being held by the authorities near the southern French city of Nimes on suspicion of other crimes. During questioning the man admitted kissing his victim to "make up for the trauma".