A man and a woman in their sixties were found dead Friday in Doudeauville (Pas-de-Calais), we learned from the prosecutor's office, which favors the thesis of femicide followed by suicide, against a background of separation.
The investigation for "homicide by spouse" was entrusted to the research brigade of the gendarmerie company of Boulogne-sur-Mer, told AFP the deputy prosecutor of Boulogne-sur-Mer, Patrick Leleu.
The victim victim of "several shots"
According to the "preferred scenario" by the prosecutor's office Friday night, "Mr. kills Madame with a firearm and then ends his life in a context, a priori, of separation of couple at the initiative of Madame," he added. The woman, born in 1963, has, according to the first elements, been hit by "several shots". Neither she nor her companion, born in 1958, "had ever been talked about," according to the same source.
Firefighters said they were called shortly before 18:00 p.m. in Doudeauville, in the hamlet of Beaucorroy. According to the prosecutor's office, it was the victim's daughter who called for help, but she was not present at the time of the facts. The number of femicides increased by 20% in France in 2021 compared to the previous year, with 122 women killed at the hands of their spouse or ex-spouse, according to the latest available figures from the Ministry of Interior.