French woman who killed allegedly violent husband pardoned

A woman jailed for murdering the husband who abused her for 47 years has been given a rare pardon by the French president. Jacqueline Sauvage was allowed to walk free from prison after Francois Hollande used a special power to release her, saying her “place was no longer in prison but with her family”. Ms Sauvage was given a 10-year sentence for killing her alcoholic and abusive husband in 2012, shooting him three times in the back with his own hunting rifle the day after their son hanged himself.

The place of Ms. Sauvage was no longer in prison, but with her family.

François Hollande

Her trial heard how Norbert Marot had raped and beaten her and her three daughters for years and was also violent towards their son. Ms Sauvage became a cause celebre when her daughters launched a petition for her release, which attracted nearly 400,000 signatures. In January Mr Hollande gave a partial pardon, reducing her sentence, but on Wednesday he granted Ms Sauvage a full pardon. One of her lawyers, Nathalie Tomasini, said she was “overcome by joy and emotion”.

Europe