A man who murdered the mother of their two children on the island of Corsica in March 2019 has been sentenced to life in prison in a case that caused an outcry over domestic killings of women in France.
Julie Douib was shot dead by her former partner of 14 years, Bruno Garcia-Cruciani, a few days after learning that prosecutors had closed a case she brought against him for threatening behaviour, harassment and assault.
The widespread outrage over her killing became a rallying call for the fight against femicide in France.
A court in the city of Bastia on Wednesday rejected 44-year-old Garcia-Cruciani’s claim that Douib’s death was accidental, ruling he acted with premeditation.
Corsica trial begins over killing that sparked global feminist campaignRead more
It sentenced him to life in prison with no possibility of parole for 22 years and also stripped him of parental authority over the couple’s two boys, now aged 11 and 13. He was also banned from possessing a weapon for 15 years.
Douib, who was 34 at the time of her death, was one of 146 people killed by a current or former partner in France in 2019. She was in a new relationship at the time.
Her killing outraged campaigners against gender violence, who accused the state of failing to protect her.
The investigation revealed Garcia-Cruciani had Googled murder sentences and how to “go and live in Thailand” before going to Douib’s home and shooting her.
Garcia-Cruciani’s lawyer, Camille Radot, had appealed to the court not to make an example of his client to appease public anger over domestic violence, saying he was “not a monster”.
In the aftermath of Douib’s death French lawmakers introduced the use of electronic tracking bracelets for domestic violence offenders that alert women as well as police if known abusers approach their victims.
Emmanuel Macron’s government also vowed to improve training for police on how to handle domestic violence cases and create 1,000 new places in emergency shelters for victims.
In 2020, the number of women killed by a current or former partner in France fell to 90.
