French mother in custody battle with Saudi prince falls to death

Paris - A French-Jewish woman who was embroiled in a high profile custody battle with a Saudi prince, plummeted to her death from her fourth floor Paris apartment on Thursday night. Her lawyer says her death was not suicide.

Police are investigating the death of Candice Cohen-Ahnine, 35, after she fell to her death last week. Digital Journal reported earlier this year that Ahnine won a custody battle in the French courts against Prince Sattam al-Saud of the Saudi royal family. Their daughter has been in Riyadh since 2008. Following the custody ruling Prince Sattam said "France hasn’t got the right to take her back. She is a Saudi citizen and a princess. They cannot oblige a princess to leave this country." (Telegraph) He stated "If need be, I'll go like [Osama] bin Laden and hide in the mountains with Aya." The Telegraph reported according to Ahnine's lawyer Laurence Tarquiny-Charpentier her death "seemed to be some sort of accident," and did not know if foul play was involved, adding "what I can tell you is that it wasn't a suicide." Reports indicate Ahnine may have slipped and fallen to her death "as if she was escaping something dangerous". According to the Daily Mail Ahnine had told relatives that she felt threatened, just days before her death.