A 55-year-old man has been indicted for murder, suspected of having killed his 44-year-old companion by strangling her at her home in Montmagny (Val-d'Oise) three days ago, announced Wednesday 6 July the Pontoise public prosecutor's office.
At the end of his police custody, the suspect was indicted for "
murder by spouse
" and was placed in pre-trial detention, said the prosecution.
A judicial inquiry has been opened to continue the investigations.
The two children aged 3 and 6 present
The murder took place Sunday shortly before midnight in this city of around 13,000 inhabitants in the north of the Paris region.
The couple's two children, aged 3 and 6, were present at the home, according to a source close to the investigation.
The alert was given by a neighbor.
According to the first elements of the investigation, "
it appears that no report had reached the police or justice services concerning the situation of this couple
", explained the prosecution on Monday.
The respondent "
refused to explain
" during his first hearings, he added.
The two children were taken care of by a pediatric service and are the subject of a temporary placement with social assistance for children.
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According to a report by the Ministry of the Interior, 146 women were victims of spousal homicide in 2019 and 102 in 2020. The feminist collective against gender-based and sexual violence #NousToutes counted 113 in 2021. In total, in France, more than 200,000 women are victims of violence each year, according to the ministry.
