Woman killed in Dijon, boyfriend arrested on suspicion of femicide
Police responding to neighbor complaints in Dijon found a 53-year-old woman dead and detained her 34-year-old boyfriend for homicide by concubinage.
In the early hours of Wednesday-Thursday, police were called to an apartment in Dijon’s Fontaine d’Ouche neighborhood after neighbors reported loud cries. Responding officers found a 53-year-old woman lying motionless in a bedroom with injuries to her face and ribs; she was declared dead shortly thereafter. The woman’s 34-year-old partner was apprehended while trying to leap from the second floor and was placed under investigation for homicide by concubinage.
Prosecutor Arnaud Viornery said the man, who had no known history of domestic abuse, had only recently started seeing the victim, who worked as a cleaning agent. Mayor Nathalie Koenders offered her thoughts to the victim’s family and highlighted that 107 women were killed by partners or ex-partners in 2024, an increase of 11% over 2023. She called for continued focus on the parliamentary debate over a comprehensive law against gender-based violence. The case underscores the persistent threat of femicide in France.
