The Mamoudou Gassama Affair

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the famous rescue incident involving Mamoudou Gassama, using physics to question the plausibility of the event and suggesting it may have been staged.

Contribution

It applies kinematic and Newtonian physics to critically examine a high-profile rescue, challenging the authenticity of the reported event.

Findings

Physics indicates the rescue was physically implausible.

The event's staging is suggested by the analysis.

Questions about the authenticity of the incident are raised.

Abstract

On May 26th, 2018, it was reported in the French news that a four-year-old child fell from the 5th floor's balcony of a building in Paris (France), and was able to catch the railing of the 4th floor's balcony. An immigrant, Mamoudou Gassama, who was passing by decided to climb the building and rescued the child. Subsequently, Mamoudou was congratulated by French president, Emmanuel Macron, and was naturalized. In this paper, by using kinematic equations and Newton's laws, it is shown that it is actually impossible for a four-year-old child (and probably for an adult too) to fall from a balcony and catch the railing of the lower balcony. This suggests that the rescue of the child could have been staged.