A top athlete sentenced to 25 years in prison for strangling his ex

A former cane fighting champion was sentenced on Friday to 25 years in prison by the Bas-Rhin Assize Court for strangling his former partner in Strasbourg in 2022.

This 39-year-old man, a multiple world champion in this combat sport practiced with a stick, faced a life sentence. The sentence handed down is in line with that requested by the prosecution.

The court also opted for a partial withdrawal of parental authority: the convicted man will be able to meet in the visiting room and correspond with the little girl he had with the victim, as he has been doing since his incarceration.

"A radical break would be too abrupt and likely to worsen her condition," explained the president of the court, Stéphanie Issenlor, regarding the child, now 8 years old and in the care of her paternal grandparents.

On July 9, 2022, the victim, 28-year-old Aurore, was found dead in the bathroom of her apartment, her head against the toilet. The medical examiner concluded that she had died of strangulation the previous day.

Her former partner told investigators that he hadn't left his home that evening, as he was suffering from Covid. This was corroborated by his new partner, 14 years his junior, whom he had met at his sports club.

Tried for perjury, the 25-year-old woman was sentenced to one year in prison, suspended.

Her lawyer, Caroline Bolla, had pleaded for acquittal, urging the jurors to let her "continue her life" with the little boy she had with the accused. Born after his father's imprisonment, he has never seen her.

Her client reiterated that she was convinced that on the night of the tragedy, her partner had "not left the chalet" they occupied in the middle of the forest.

Despite the alibi put forward, the athlete was caught out by his genetic profile, found on the victim's backpack and white T-shirt, bearing the inscription "mother hen".

He eventually admitted to going to his ex's home to discuss her behavior with their daughter, who he said was complaining of mistreatment.

The argument escalated, and his partner allegedly threatened to accuse him of pedophilia. The athlete, who had given up competition to become a stay-at-home father, recounted that he then "saw red," striking her "very violently" before strangling her "to silence her."

His daughter, "she means everything to him," stressed his lawyer, Florence Dole, explaining that while her client "cannot repair anything," he "confessed his lies" and "fully acknowledged" the charges against him during the trial.

According to the public prosecutor, Priscille Cazaux, the man in his thirties had imposed a "love triptych" on the two women, cultivating ambiguity with Aurore before trying "to tarnish her memory to diminish her actions."

He had moved his body into the bathroom to make it look like a fall, then once back home, he acted as if nothing had happened, even sending her several text messages.

"I'm not making excuses anymore," he said, tearfully asking for "forgiveness."

According to the latest official figures published in October, 107 women were killed by their partner or ex-partner in 2024, an increase of 11% compared to 2023.

AFP