A man has been indicted and placed in pre-trial detention for the murder of his ex-partner, whom he is suspected of killing on Thursday, August 6, 2026, in Bollène (Vaucluse). The case raises serious questions about the effectiveness of protective measures for victims of domestic violence.
The victim, identified as 35-year-old Katerina, was found dead at her home. Her ex-husband, who was awaiting trial for previous violence against her, was arrested and charged, according to the public prosecutor’s office.
Numerous Cranial Wounds and a Sharp Object
Upon the discovery of her lifeless body by gendarmes, the victim “presented numerous wounds to the skull,” some of which “suggested the use of a sharp object,” stated Deputy Public Prosecutor Jean-François Mayet in a press release. Law enforcement had intervened on Thursday evening following a report from an acquaintance of the victim who was concerned about her absence.
The suspect was arrested later that evening at his own home, where he was with the couple’s two children. He has also been indicted for “possession of category B and category C weapons.”
A Victim Under Judicial Protection
According to local daily La Provence, the 54-year-old man, a former legionnaire, was a running mate for the National Rally candidate in the last municipal elections. He was no stranger to violence against his ex-partner. Last June, during the couple’s separation, he was into police custody for assaulting her. Placed under judicial supervision, he was due to appear before the Carpentras criminal court in November.
Since that incident, the “deceased victim benefited from additional protection measures, including a ‘grave danger’ phone provided by the Carpentras prosecutor’s office at the end of June, as well as a protection order issued by the family court judge,” the prosecutor’s office specified. It added that “since the events of June, no other acts of violence had been reported, nor even denounced by the victim.”
Children Placed in Care, Investigation Continues
The couple’s children, originally from the Czech Republic, were initially cared for by the Avignon hospital center before being placed with the Child Welfare Services. Given the severity of the acts, qualified as murder, the Carpentras prosecutor’s office has transferred the case to Avignon, which is now centralizing the investigation under the authority of an investigating judge.
This tragedy is part of a worrying national trend. According to the latest data from the Interministerial Mission for the Protection of Women (Miprof), 107 women were killed by their spouse or ex-spouse in 2024, compared to 96 in 2023, an increase of 11%.
