Murder in Bollène: former legionnaire and RN candidate's running mate held in custody
A 54-year-old man, a former legionnaire and running mate of a National Rally candidate, has been charged and placed in provisional custody for the murder of his ex-partner in Bollène on 6 August.
Provisional custody after Bollène murder
According to ladepeche.fr, a man has been placed in provisional custody and charged with the murder of his ex-partner, killed with great violence on Thursday 6 August at her home in Bollène (Vaucluse). The Avignon public prosecutor's office announced this on Saturday 8 August.
The victim, Katerina Lukesova, 35, was discovered lifeless by gendarmes. She had numerous head wounds, some of which suggested the use of a sharp object, according to Jean-François Mayet, deputy prosecutor of the Republic.
Law enforcement were alerted on Thursday evening after a person acquainted with the victim reported concerns about her absence. The man was arrested that evening at his own home by the GIGN, where he was with the couple's two children. The investigation was centralised by the Avignon prosecutor's office owing to the severity of the facts, which have been classified as murder.
History of reported violence
The suspect, 54, a former legionnaire, had already been questioned in police custody in June last year during the couple's separation for violence against his ex-partner. Placed under judicial supervision, he was due to appear before the Carpentras misdemeanour court in November.
The victim had benefited from additional protective measures since the end of June: a grave danger telephone and a protection order issued by the family affairs judge. No further acts of violence had been reported by the victim after the June incidents, according to the prosecutor.
The suspect was also charged with possession of weapons in categories B and C.
Children given care
The couple's two children, originally from the Czech Republic, were initially cared for by Avignon general hospital before being placed with child welfare services.
The investigation is continuing under the direction of an investigating judge. These events occur in a context of rising femicides: 107 women were killed by their spouse or ex-spouse in 2024, compared with 96 in 2023, an increase of 11 per cent according to data from the Inter-ministerial Mission for the Protection of Women.
Source: Google News FR — Crime (fr)