Elisa Pilarski case: companion appeals his conviction
Christophe Ellul, sentenced to four years in prison with a suspended sentence for involuntary manslaughter following the death of his partner in 2019, has decided to appeal. This decision suspends the euthanasia order for the dog Curtis.
Elisa Pilarski case: companion appeals his conviction
Christophe Ellul announced on Friday 19 June his intention to contest the decision handed down by the Soissons criminal court. Sentenced on 11 June to four years in prison with a suspended sentence for involuntary manslaughter, he has decided to appeal to the appellate court. This move also results in the suspension of the euthanasia order for the pitbull Curtis, as his lawyer Alexandre Novion confirmed.
The young woman lost her life in 2019 following bites from the animal. During the trial which opened in March, the prosecution had sought the sentence that was ultimately imposed. The judge emphasised that the dog, confined since the incident, had become uncontrollable. The victim's DNA profile had been found on the animal's upper lip. The pitbull, from a line of fighting dogs and trained to bite by the defendant, had been deemed capable on its own of causing death.
On the side of Elisa Pilarski's loved ones, lawyer Xavier Terquem, who represents the deceased's mother and uncle, expressed his bewilderment. He described the judgment as "particularly well reasoned" and expressed surprise at an appeal when the sentence imposed did not include any custodial time.
The fate of the animal had stirred considerable public emotion. Several petitions calling for its pardon had gathered more than one hundred thousand signatures at the time of the verdict. Christophe Ellul's appeal was presented as a response to the "public outcry" from animal rights advocates, according to his own words.
Source: franceinfo
Source: France Info