France on Tuesday launched a three-month conference on domestic abuse amid mounting concerns over high femicide figures. FRANCE 24 met families of some of the victims to uncover the stories behind the statistics.

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More than 100 women have been killed in France due to domestic abuse since the start of 2019, sparking a massive effort to combat the violence. France’s Minister of Gender Equality Marlène Schiappa launched a conference aimed at reducing the 222,000 incidents of marital physical or sexual violence that happen every year in France, according to official data.

As part of FRANCE 24’s coverage of the conference on femicide, reporters Catherine Norris Trent and Julie Dungelhoeff met some of the families of women killed by their partners.

‘He didn’t let her leave’

Ghylaine Bouchait was 34 years old on September 24, 2017, when she succumbed to injuries sustained during a violent altercation with her partner.

Her grieving mother and sisters recount how she tried to escape her abusive partner but never succeeded.

‘He’s killed me’

Julie Douib, a mother of two, was 34 years old on March 3, when she was shot dead by her ex-partner.

Her parents, Violetta and Lucien Douib, revisit that dreadful day, when a neighbour – after hearing shots and seeing a man leave Julie’s apartment – rushed to see their daughter lift her head and say, “He’s killed me.”

Those were her last words.

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