A 46-year-old firefighter, suspected of having strangled his 38-year-old partner near Caen, was placed in police custody, we learned Friday from a police source.
A couple in the process of separation
"He speaks very little in police custody. We cannot say that he recognizes the facts", declared to the AFP the public prosecutor of Caen, Amélie Cladière, specifying that the suspect will be referred at the parquet Friday evening or Saturday morning. The facts took place Thursday morning in Ifs, in the agglomeration of Caen. The professional firefighter reportedly strangled his partner by putting a plastic bag over her head, police said. The prosecution has not confirmed these elements.
Remorseful, the man called for help, but his wife, in serious condition, died, according to the police. The couple, in the process of separation, have two adolescent children.
If the investigation confirms that he is the author, this case could bring to at least 39 the number of alleged femicides since the beginning of the year, according to an AFP count. In 2019, AFP recorded at least 126 cases of women killed by their partner or ex, i.e. a woman every three days on average.