A 27-year-old French tourist, has been found dead in a Sydney jail cell, after being arrested for accosting World Youth Day pilgrims.
The man was reportedly arrested on Friday and spent the evening locked up in Surry Hills police station before being transferred to the remand centre at Silverwater.
A French consulate spokesman said the consulate knew of the death but revealed that while the man was a tourist, he was not a World Youth Day pilgrim as was reported earlier.
The man was arrested for offensive behaviour during a confrontation with a pilgrim at the World Youth Day celebrations in Sydney last week.
The spokesman said the man, Herve Youdom, who appeared to have psychiatric issues, was charged with wilful obscene exposure and resisting arrest.
Mr Youdom had arrived in Australia on June 18.
Anita Sulentic, media manager for World Youth Day, confirmed the dead man was not a registered pilgrim.
A spokesman for Corrective services confirmed the death in custody, but denied earlier reports Mr Youdom was found naked in his cell.
"All we're saying at this stage is confirming that a 27-year-old inmate was found dead in his cell at 9.45 this morning (AEST)," the spokesman said.
The spokesman declined further comment as the matter was under coronial inquiry.
