Hollande waives prison for abused woman who shot husband

President Hollande met the three adult Sauvage daughters in Paris two days ago.

The decision wasn’t an outright pardon, but allows Sauvage to “immediately seek conditional freedom”, the president’s office said.

The reduction of Jacqueline Sauvage prison sentence was a rare display of Presidential pardon in pardon in France, but the fact that she had suffered decades long abuse at her husband’s hand had garnered much public support for the move.

Sauvage shot her husband three times in the back with a rifle on September 10, 2012, the day after her son hanged himself.

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”. Her husband reportedly beat and abused her for less than 50 years and her daughters also had the same fate. After her appeal on the grounds of self defence was rejected one year after her conviction her daughter began a campaign to gain a presidential pardon.

This marks the second time Hollande has made use of his presidential prerogative. But the prosecutor decided that the shooting was not a proportionate response to a direct act of aggression.

More than 400,000 people signed a petition demanding her release.

The ruling has been a victory for campaigners who are calling for the definition of self defence in murder cases to be expanded to include victims of abuse and violence.

Although the pardon does not quash her sentence, it will enable the 69-year-old to leave prison having served just three years of her sentence.

Now French President Francois Hollande has waived the remaining prison sentence.

“Our father has died and, for us, it is a relief”.