Bruno Garcia-Cruciani, 46, killed his ex-girlfriend and mother of his children in 2019 in Ile-Rousse.
The Corse-du-Sud Assize Court of Appeal sentenced Bruno Garcia-Cruciani to life imprisonment on Friday for the feminicide of his ex-partner and mother of his children, Julie Douib, in 2019, which had aroused a wave of indignation in France. “The court sentences you by a majority of at least eight votes to life imprisonment with a 22-year security sentence”, said the president to Bruno Garcia-Cruciani, 46. The court found the defendant guilty of murder and dismissed the impaired judgment pleaded by the defense.
When the verdict was announced, Bruno Garcia-Cruciani remained imperturbable in the box. The Douib family let their relief show. This condemnation corresponds to the requisitions of Catherine Levy, the general counsel. “It’s an execution pure and simple”had hammered the magistrate, recalling that he “has stalked” the 34-year-old young woman before shooting her dead on March 3, 2019 in Ile Rousse, Corsica.
“The mere fact of showing up at someone’s door with a loaded gun constitutes premeditation”, she also insisted. To further underline this premeditation, she outlined the Internet searches carried out before the facts by the accused on the “sentence for homicide” or how “going to live in Thailand”. Also aggravating circumstances, the sale of his vehicles and the fact of having entrusted the children’s passports to his “heart tata” before the facts.
“Nothing stops him, even in detention”
Elements of premeditation that Me Gilles Antomarchi and Me Jean-Paul Eon, in defense, set out to dismantle. They also defended the thesis of an accidental first shot, conceding a second voluntary shot but “no execution”. As for the required life sentence, “It’s the punishment of serial killers”was indignant Me Antomarchi, denouncing the pressure of “the mediatization”.
The Advocate General then recalled the death threats made by the accused during his detention after the death of Julie Douib, against friends of the young woman, a sports coach she frequented and her father. “Nothing stops him, even in detention”, summarized Ms. Levy. A belligerent state of mind on the part of the accused, before, during and after the facts, which his lawyers attributed to his consumption of anabolic steroids which could cause “a paranoia” and “outbursts of violence”. They asked the jurors, in vain, to retain “an abolition of discernment”.
Total withdrawal of parental authority
The Corse-du-Sud Assize Court of Appeal also ordered “the total withdrawal of parental authority” of Bruno Garcia-Cruciani on his two sons aged 12 and 14. That man “continues to question all the judicial decisions concerning her two children” and “Privileges his interest over that of his children”which he had had with Julie Douib, explained the president of the court of appeal.
Earlier, Me Francesca Seatelli, lawyer for the couple’s two children, had called on the court to “to protect from their father”describing boys “terrified that their father will come out of prison and pick them up”. Bruno Garcia-Cruciani, “a dangerous man”has “constantly used” their children “like a landlord” and wants “recover them for him, not for them”had underlined the lawyer, asserting that he had made them “in perpetuity sons of assassins, forever orphans”. She had asked the court to tell them, by her judgment, “it’s not their fault”.
“Thief of life”
“I would like to have a word for Julie”said Bruno Garcia-Cruciani on Friday evening before the court retired. “I took Julie’s life”, “the mother of my children” and “I ask forgiveness”, “I am sorry for that”. It also “asked the Douib family for forgiveness”and regarding Lucien Douib, Julie’s father, he said: “If he felt threatened, I apologize.” “I did not go to take away Julie’s life”, he also repeated, rejecting premeditation. As for his children, “I will always be there for them and I will never leave them”he concluded apologetically.
For Jean-Sébastien De Casalta, one of the three lawyers of the Douib family, “it is the trial of a feminicide that has become a symbol”he launched, qualifying the accused as “stealer of life”, “stealer of dreams” and “love thief”. Social shock, this crime, the 30th feminicide out of 149 in 2019 in France, had aroused a wave of indignation in the country, leading to the organization by the government of a “Grenelle” on violence against women.
At first instance, the accused had been sentenced to life imprisonment with a security period of 22 years and the deprivation of his parental authority.