French woman who killed husband freed after Hollande pardon

[TomandJerry]

"A French woman in her sixties who murdered her husband in 2012 has been released after a second intervention by President Francois Hollande.

Jacqueline Sauvage suffered decades of abuse and became a cause celebre, prompting a campaign for her release.

Mr Hollande issued a partial pardon at the end of January but the courts twice rejected applications for her release.

He has now given Ms Sauvage a complete pardon and she was freed from jail early on Wednesday evening.

Jacqueline Sauvage's story:

Suffered 47 years of violent abuse at hands of husband Norbert and ended up in hospital four times, Her son also suffered violent abuse; two of her three daughters were sexually abused

9 Sept 2012: Son hangs himself,

10 Sept 2012: Ms Sauvage shoots husband three times in the back,

October 2014: She is jailed for 10 years for unpremeditated murder,

December 2015: Appeal court upholds verdict,

January 2016: President Hollande meets three daughters, calls for Ms Sauvage's early release,

28 Dec 2016: She leaves jail"

Is murder now deemed acceptable?

 

[Triggaaar]

Is murder now deemed acceptable?

He had it coming. She served 2 years.

 

[TomandJerry]

He had it coming. She served 2 years.

2 years for a murder involving a gun, seems pretty light

 

[Swillis]

Is murder now deemed acceptable?

She suffered violent abuse for years, ended up in hospital four times. Her son suffered violent abuse and killed himself. Two of her three daughters were sexually abused!
I'm hoping the two years she served were for not shooting the b@stard sooner!

 

[Triggaaar]

2 years for a murder involving a gun, seems pretty light

He got shot dead. Seems pretty light.

 

[Coldeanseagull]

I regard that as a justified killing. Some people are just better off dead

 

[marlowe]

Is murder now deemed acceptable?

No, not all murder, but sometimes murder is justifiable , understandable or excusable depending on the mitigating circumstances. Taking the catalogue of circumstances listed at face value I would suggest that this murder was justifiable and understandable. The murder she commited was just one day after the suicide of her son. Therefore she was in a highly charged and distressed state of mind. Presumably she considered that the years of abuse her son had suffered at the hands of his father contributed to his mental health which ultimately led to him taking his own life. She therefore held her husband's brutality responsible for her son's death. She had just lost her child as a result of her husband's abusive behaviour. How would you feel if you lost a child in such circumstances? What would you want to do to the person who you believed was responsible for the death of your child? If you have any children I think you should be able to answer that question very easily. If you don't have children try and use your imagination. Given the circumstances and her obvious state of mind, do you not think what she did was understandable?

 

[Eeyore]

Murder isn't justifiable, but compassion is. The right decision was made. Hopefully the poor woman can make something from the embers of her existence.

 

[TomandJerry]

No, not all murder, but sometimes murder is justifiable , understandable or excusable depending on the mitigating circumstances. Taking the catalogue of circumstances listed at face value I would suggest that this murder was justifiable and understandable. The murder she commited was just one day after the suicide of her son. Therefore she was in a highly charged and distressed state of mind. Presumably she considered that the years of abuse her son had suffered at the hands of his father contributed to his mental health which ultimately led to him taking his own life. She therefore held her husband's brutality responsible for her son's death. She had just lost her child as a result of her husband's abusive behaviour. How would you feel if you lost a child in such circumstances? What would you want to do to the person who you believed was responsible for the death of your child? If you have any children I think you should be able to answer that question very easily. If you don't have children try and use your imagination. Given the circumstances and her obvious state of mind, do you not think what she did was understandable?

I agree, but murder is murder

 

[marlowe]

2 years for a murder involving a gun, seems pretty light

She wasn't sentenced to two years, she was sentenced to ten. She was pardoned after two years after reviewing the mitigating circumstances and after considering the appeals of her and the murder victim's three daughters.

 

[marlowe]

I agree, but murder is murder

And a pardon is a pardon.

 

[portlock seagull]

She's served 47 years already. I think that's enough, especially as shes made the world a better place

 

[darkwolf666]

"A French woman in her sixties who murdered her husband in 2012 has been released after a second intervention by President Francois Hollande.

Jacqueline Sauvage suffered decades of abuse and became a cause celebre, prompting a campaign for her release.

Mr Hollande issued a partial pardon at the end of January but the courts twice rejected applications for her release.

He has now given Ms Sauvage a complete pardon and she was freed from jail early on Wednesday evening.

Jacqueline Sauvage's story:

Suffered 47 years of violent abuse at hands of husband Norbert and ended up in hospital four times, Her son also suffered violent abuse; two of her three daughters were sexually abused

9 Sept 2012: Son hangs himself,

10 Sept 2012: Ms Sauvage shoots husband three times in the back,

October 2014: She is jailed for 10 years for unpremeditated murder,

December 2015: Appeal court upholds verdict,

January 2016: President Hollande meets three daughters, calls for Ms Sauvage's early release,

28 Dec 2016: She leaves jail"

Is murder now deemed acceptable?

But she wasn't convicted of murder - but unpremeditated murder, which in the UK would be called manslaughter - wherein there is a whole new debate as to how you decide whether it was murder or manslaughter!

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I agree, but murder is murder

Her mental state would be the mitigation in this case. Nobody is saying murder or manslaughter is justifiable, but there are massive mitigating circumstances in this case.

 

[Simster]

Are there seriously people debating whether or not justice has been served? This is clearly the right decision given the circumstances.

 

[Hyperion]

Absolutely the correct decision. That scumbag had a nasty vice like grip on his family and ruined all of their lives. She should not have served anything in my opinion

 

[BadFish]

Seems like a logical, common sense conclusion to a horrific case.

Having someone locked up who clearly has massive mitigating circumstances and presumably wouldn't be considered a danger to the public makes little sense to me.

 

[pasty]

How can shooting someone three times in the back be classed as UNpremeditated murder? "Yes your honor, I shot him three times in the back but I didn't mean to kill him"

 

[Triggaaar]

I agree, but murder is murder

Surely you mean meat?

 

[Motogull]

Surely you mean meat?

I'd struggle if on a jury in a case like that. The temptation to let her walk out of the front door would be strong.