Life imprisonment for ex-wife of serial killer Fourniret

French Serial Killer's Ex-Wife: Lifetime Sentence for Aiding in Murders

Monique Olivier, the ex-spouse of notorious French serial killer Michel Fourniret, was handed a life sentence in France for her part in the deaths of two women and a young girl. During her court appearance in Nanterre near Paris, Olivier, now 75, expressed regret, saying "I would like to apologize." The sentence aligned with the prosecution's demand, while the defense argued for a guilty verdict and a stern penalty [1].

Originally convicted in 2008 along with Fourniret, the "Monster of the Ardennes," was responsible for abducting, raping, and murdering seven girls and women in France and Belgium. Authorities believe the number of victims to be much higher. Olivier's involvement in his crime spree was brought to light in the recent trial, which focused on three additional cases for which the couple is accused [1].

Surprisingly, Olivier confessed to her role in the three aforementioned cases during the trial. Two 18 and 20-year-old women disappeared in 1988 and 1990, while a nine-year-old girl was abducted in 2003. Only the body of the British language assistant, who went missing in 1990, was later discovered. Regrettably, Olivier failed to provide specific information regarding the remaining two victims [1].

Throughout the three-week trial, Olivier frequently cited memory lapses as her main excuse for shrugging off critical details. When asked about why she had not intervened in the alleged impending murders of the young women who had been kidnapped, she failed to offer any sufficient explanation. The hearings centered on the third, seventh, eleventh, and last murders that Fourniret and his ex-wife committed during their reign of terror [1].

The couple, who separated while in custody, has been hailed as the most murderous in French legal history. Their crimes came to light when Fourniret attempted to kidnap a 13-year-old girl in Belgium in 2003. Despite a previous seven-year prison sentence in France for raping underage girls in the 1980s, which he served for only two years, Fourniret continued his violent acts [1].

Additional Insights:

Monique Olivier has come under investigation in connection with the disappearance of Cécile Vallin in 1997. Regrettably, despite being questioned by judges, Olivier has continually refused to cooperate with the investigators, insisting on answering only questions from a specific judge, Sabine Kheiris, an act which has resulted in an ongoing stalemate in the case, now over 27 years old [2].