Jubillar admits to murder of Delphine Aussaguel; defence invokes crime of passion
After five years of denials, Cédric Jubillar has admitted responsibility for the death of his wife. His lawyer is now arguing the case as a crime of passion.
Turning point in Jubillar trial: confession and plea for "crime of passion"
On 6 July 2026, Cédric Jubillar admitted for the first time his responsibility in the death of Delphine Aussaguel, the 33-year-old nurse who disappeared during a winter night in 2020 and whose body has never been recovered. According to Le Figaro, this reversal comes after five years of denials and four weeks of a trial marked by disputes over the accusations.
It was in a handwritten letter addressed to his lawyer Pierre Debuisson, revealed by La Dépêche du Midi, that the former plasterer painter admitted to having "caused the death" of his wife. He says he is prepared to indicate to judges the location where he concealed the body.
From press conferences to interviews, Me Debuisson hints at the new line of defence: his client never intended to kill. It was during an "umpteenth marital dispute that things went wrong", a formulation which, according to the lawyer, refers to what "amounts more or less to a crime of passion".
Le Figaro points out that this strategy revives a legal and cultural notion widely regarded as anachronistic, which tends to romanticise spousal murder and legitimise violence in the name of a supposed amorous passion. Specialists criticise this recourse to a framework from another era: "It is explained that when one loves too much, one can kill", summarises the argument denounced by several observers.
The Jubillar case had drawn national attention since the disappearance of Delphine Aussaguel in December 2020. Her husband, quickly taken into police custody and then formally charged, had until then denied any involvement in her death.
Source: Le Figaro