During a meeting with Algerian expatriates and veterans who witnessed the October 17, 1961, Paris massacres, the systemic nature of the state-sponsored violence was highlighted. It is argued that Maurice Papon, the prefect of police, did not act in isolation but under the directives of Interior Minister Roger Frey and Prime Minister Michel Debré, a staunch advocate of 'French Algeria.' The administration of President Charles de Gaulle allegedly shielded these figures to appease extremist factions. The article contends that France uses Papon as a scapegoat to shield higher officials from international accountability. Furthermore, it denounces the historical revisionism regarding the 'Auxiliary Police Force' created by Debré in 1959 and disputes common narratives concerning the actual motivations behind Debré’s resignation in 1962.