French President Francois Hollande grants presidential pardon to woman over killing of her husband

French President Francois Hollande granted presidential pardon to Jacqueline Sauvage after she killed her violent husband. Jacqueline Sauvage and her children, after years of suffering cruel abusive inhuman treatment from her husband, shot him.

The rare pardon she received by Hollande allows her to leave prison mid-April, her lawyers said. Without it, she was to wait till January 2017 to apply for early parole. She was found guilty of murder and sentenced to 10 years in prison in October 2014, which was upheld on appeal in December 2015 as the state rejected her plea of self-defence.

She was abused along with her children for decades, and now, on her way to freedom she will face lenghty judiciary steps as she remains condemned for what she did.

Jacqueline Sauvage case puts a spotlight on national advocacy campaign to end violence against women and girls and it must not weaken over time, says Claire Serre-Combe, spokeswoman of Osez le feminisme (Dare Féminism.

In France, each year more than 200 000 women suffer domestic violence. A number largely underestimated since only 10% of the victims do file complaints. Jacqueline Sauvage never did.