French President Francois Hollande has spared the remaining prison time to be spent behind bars for a woman convicted of killing her abusive husband. He has pardoned her from her crimes.
The woman was identified as Jacqueline Sauvage who was victimized by her husband for decades, Boston Globe reported. However, for the case of Sauvage, it was not an outright pardon as the president's office said that Hollande has allowed her to immediately seek conditional freedom. As per the French Constitution, they allow a president to pardon a convict or reduce one's prison sentence.
Global News reported that there has been a lot of support for Sauvage, now 68, and that the decision came two days after the three daughters of the woman met with the president. Sauvage was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the murder of her husband back in 2012. Her husband reportedly beat and abused her for less than 50 years and her daughters also had the same fate. She was convicted last December.
The president's office added in their statement: "In the face of an exceptional human situation, the president wanted to make it possible for Madame Sauvage to quickly return to her family while respecting judicial authorities."
As per the daughters' explanations, they lived their lives with violence including sexual abuse and they were too humiliated to ask for help. Eventually, Sauvage shot her husband with a rifle. The husband, identified as Norbert Marot, was a violent alcoholic who also abused their son. Accordingly, the shooting of Marot came a day after their son hung himself, France 24 reported.
The case has had support from women's groups, politicians, and others. A petition was even signed by thousands of supporters. Eva Darlan, a founder of an advocacy group supporting Sauvage's cause, said that she is overwhelmed, happy, grateful, and relieved for the woman.
