Valerie Bacot, a Frenchwoman, who pleaded guilty to killing her abusive husband, walked out of court as a free woman. She had shot her abusive husband, who was her stepfather earlier and had been abusing her from almost two decades. She received huge applause on Friday evening. The case had shaken the conscience of the nation. She documented her long years of horrific abuse, rape and being pimped by him. He first raped her at the age of 12.

The court ruled that she would be sentenced to four years in prison, of which three years were suspended. As she had already served one year in prison she was finally free from prison as well as from an abusive husband.

She had admitted to killing him in 2016. She said that her children had earlier complained to the gendarmes, but no action was taken. When her erstwhile stepfather, who became her husband after he impregnated her at the age of 17, had enquired if their daughter Karline was sexually active, she became very afraid. She realized that he would hurt their daughter more and more as he grew older and so she shot him.

Bacot spoke to journalists outside the courtroom and thanked everyone for the support that she had received. She also told them that now was the time for a new fight for all the other women and all those who have been mistreated. Bacot also said that she was not relieved but was physically and mentally empty.

Her lawyer Tomasini said that justice was administered and that they were particularly moved. She said that that the fact that Bacot would go back to her children that night was a huge victory for her.

There was another recent high-profile case of incest in a prominent French family and finally there is some progress and support for victims of domestic violence and incest in France.