Two Men Suspected of Killing Their Partners Arrested in France

French authorities are conducting parallel investigations into two murders of women, preliminarily classified as murder by a partner. The first tragedy occurred in the town of Ailly-sur-Noye in the Somme department in the north of the country. A 28-year-old woman died from a gunshot wound. The investigation in this case is being led by the public prosecutor's office in Amiens, and the victim's 31-year-old partner has been detained and is in police custody (garde à vue). Authorities have not provided details regarding the motive or circumstances of the weapon's use. The second murder took place in Les Lilas, in the suburbs of Paris, in the Seine-Saint-Denis department. The woman's body was found in an apartment with numerous wounds inflicted by a hammer and a knife. The victim is a 29-year-old woman, and her 29-year-old partner is suspected of committing the act. The man was detained and taken to a police facility. According to initial reports, the incident occurred at the man's parents' home, where the couple lived. French media report this case as „Féminicide aux Lilas : une femme tuée à coups de marteau et de couteau” (Femicide in Les Lilas: a woman killed with hammer and knife blows) — Le Parisien. The investigation into the Les Lilas case is being conducted by the public prosecutor's office in Bobigny, and officers have secured the crime scene to gather evidence. The issue of women being killed by their partners (so-called féminicides) became one of the key topics of public debate in France after a series of high-profile cases in the late 2010s. In response, the government announced a "great national fight" against domestic violence in 2019, resulting in a package of reforms, including the introduction of electronic bracelets for perpetrators to prevent them from approaching victims. Despite this, statistics remain alarming. These two incidents from February 23 are part of a broader, tragic trend. A few days earlier, on February 21, a court ordered the pre-trial detention of a man in the Seine-et-Marne department who confessed to murdering his former partner in an exceptionally brutal manner. This series of events once again directs public attention to the effectiveness of measures to protect victims of domestic violence. 94 — women were killed by their partner or former partner in France in 2023 according to official statistics from the French Ministry of the Interior. In 2024, this number remained at a similar level, although full data for this year is not yet available. Women's organizations, such as Collectif Féminicides par Compagnons ou Ex, have been campaigning for years to toughen penalties and improve the system of protection against domestic violence. Criminology experts point out that in many cases, murders were preceded by earlier signs of violence that were not adequately detected by the system. Domestic Violence in France by the Numbers: Annual reports of domestic violence: 220,000 → 245,000; Arrests of men suspected of killing their partner: 2019: ~100 → 2023: ~100; Temporary detentions (garde à vue) in domestic cases: no data → several thousand per month The French legal system provides severe penalties for aggravated murder, including domestic killings, but non-governmental organizations appeal for better training of police officers and prosecutors in identifying threats. There is also increasing pressure to apply preventive measures, such as eviction orders or bans on contacting the victim. However, as the latest incidents show, the system is still unable to prevent all tragedies.