Kim Kardashian takes the stand at the trial of the 'grandpa robbers'

Kim Kardashian has appeared in a Paris court to give evidence in the case against 10 people accused of robbing her nine years ago.

The reality TV star stood for almost five hours in court on Tuesday as lawyers probed her about the events that unfolded in her hotel room in 2016. In her testimony, she described how her life had been "forever changed" by the robbery. "We never felt that we were unsafe before this," she said.

Kardashian was tied up and held at gunpoint by five men who forced their way into her hotel room and stole jewellery worth more than $10 million, including a $4 million engagement ring from her husband at the time, Kanye West.

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Most of the possessions taken in the robbery, including the engagement ring, have never been found. Only two of the people accused of taking part have admitted their involvement, and only 10 of the 12 people who have been accused are standing trial. Since the robbery, one of the accused has died, and another, aged 81, has advanced dementia.

Some French media nicknamed the gang the "grandpa robbers" because the heist was "attributed to a group of veteran criminals", including some who "are in their 70s", said The New York Times.

What exactly happened?

The incident took place during Paris Fashion Week while Kardashian was alone in her hotel room at the Hôtel de Pourtalès in the Madeleine district of Paris.

At around 3am on 3 October 2016, masked men dressed as policemen, who had held up and handcuffed a concierge from the hotel, entered the reality star's room and, holding her at gunpoint, demanded she hand over her jewellery. They then "bound her and duct-taped her mouth before carrying her into the bathroom" in a "nightmare" that "lasted about 10 minutes", said Vanity Fair. The accused are said to have then fled the scene on foot and by bicycle.

Kardashian wanted to "flee as quickly as she could" and return to the US that night, so she gave evidence to the police in the early hours before leaving France on a private jet.

The alleged robbers were picked up by police around three months later after making "serious errors" in covering their tracks. They left DNA evidence, were caught numerous times on CCTV and dropped a "bag of jewels", some of which were picked up by a member of the public, said the BBC.

What has the court heard so far?

The trial has been going on since the beginning of the month and has mainly focused on the backgrounds and previous convictions of the accused. However, several witnesses have already taken the stand before Kardashian.

Those include her personal bodyguard, Pascal Duvier, who last week said he found Kardashian "crying hysterically" when he returned to the hotel after being called.

The hotel night receptionist, Abderrahmane Ouatiki, has also given evidence, telling the court that Kardashian was "terrified, in a state of hysteria" during the robbery. He described how he worked at the exclusive "no address" hotel for well-known wealthy people to help fund his PhD studies, as well as how he let the robbers in, believing they were policemen.

Ouatiki also said he feared both he and Kardashian would die in the robbery, but tried to remain calm, at one point yelling at her to shut up while he was at gunpoint, to defuse the situation.

Ahead of Kardashian's testimony on Tuesday, her stylist, Simone Harouche, who was sleeping in the room below, gave evidence, telling the court how she heard Kardashian "hopping down the stairs" to her room after the robbers had left, with "tape around her feet".

But the multitude of journalists gathered at the court were there to hear from Kardashian, who was questioned by multiple lawyers for more than four hours.

She said in her testimony that she "absolutely" thought she was "going to die" and that she would be raped, as she described the sequence of events in detail. She heard responses from three of the accused who all apologised for their involvement. She said she forgave Aomar Aît Khedache, who, now deaf and mute, had a letter to Kardashian read out to the court.

Who are the accused?

Two of those going on trial – 71-year-old Yunice Abbas and 68-year-old Aomar Aît Khedache – have admitted their involvement. The former has released a book about the robbery called "I Kidnapped Kim Kardashian" since being arrested, in which he "admitted his involvement, citing financial struggles and viewing the heist as his 'last job'", said Cosmopolitan.

Khedache, another veteran criminal nicknamed "Old Omar", has also admitted he took part but "denies being the mastermind" behind the plot.

Also standing trial is Didier Dubreucq, 69, a seasoned criminal, as well as Gary Madar, 34, whose brother has regularly provided transport for the Kardashians in Paris over several years. Madar is accused of passing on information to the criminal gang about Kardashian's whereabouts on the night of the robbery. He denies handing over information to another accused, Florus Héroui, 52, whom Madar worked for in a cafe.

Marc Boyer, 78, and his son Marc-Alexandre Boyer will also stand trial. The former is accused of providing the weapon used in the heist and the latter of being involved in the robbery itself.

Why has the trial taken so long to happen?

The long-awaited trial has not been as urgent because of the "defendants' age and health issues", which also meant they have "spent little time in provisional detention", said the BBC. The courts have also been working through a "backlog" of other cases, including "large terrorism trials", which has taken many years.

French courts often provide an "enquête de personnalité" on defendants, a personality background and family history to give jurors a sense of the person involved. The first to take the stand, Abbas, told the court that he regretted robbing Kardashian and the incident had "opened my eyes". He also said he wasn't aware of who Kardashian was at the time.

What happens next?

Kardashian is not scheduled to give any further evidence in the case following her lengthy appearance in court. The hearings are due to end on 22 May, with a verdict handed down on 23 May. Some of the defendants could face up to 30 years in prison if found guilty of the most serious charges.