Questioned Thursday about the kidnapping and murder of Estelle Mouzin, the accused appears for the first time to show sincere emotion in front of the court.
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Before the Hauts-de-Seine Assize Court, Monique Olivier answered questions about Estelle Mouzin for several hours on Thursday, December 14. The last and youngest known victim of the Fourniret couple was kidnapped on January 9, 2003 in Guermantes, in Seine-et-Marne, when she was only 9 years old. Without making any revelations, the accused tries to tell what she knew about Estelle Mouzin’s ordeal.
A large mattress sits on the table of seals at the Nanterre Assize Court. It is wrapped in several layers of plastic, three people are needed to open it and see its brick red color. It’s on this mattress, discovered in the dilapidated house of Ville-sur-Lumes, in the Ardennes, that Estelle Mouzin’s DNA was partially found. The little girl probably lived her last moments there. In her box, Monique Olivier says she does not recognize the object, yet she spent several hours, two she says, six say the civil parties, guarding Estelle at the request of Michel Fourniret.
“I knew she was going to die.”
Monique Olivier on Estelle Mouzinbefore the Hauts-de-Seine Assize Court
In a quavering voice, Monique Olivier first recounts her shock and anger when she discovers that Estelle is so young. “She was sad, a little sleepy but not attachedshe assures. And then she cried. She told me she wanted her mother, continues Monique Olivier. I told her she would see her soon. It was cowardly of me, I didn’t want to stay with her any longer because it hurt me.” said the accused as the room held its breath. “What I should have done was take him away from there.”regrets Monique Olivier.
No new confessions on the disappearance of Estelle Mouzin
Estelle’s body has remained untraceable since her disappearance, despite several searches, notably on a small dirt road designated by Monique Olivier, a few kilometers from the house. A crow’s foot path where the accused says she took Michel Fourniret by car on several occasions. First with a shovel and a pickaxe, “not for gardening”recognizes the accused, but to dig a “location”, she said modestly, “a hole not very deep, up to the ankle”. Michel Fourniret and Monique Olivier then return to look for the body. “I couldn’t look. The bodies make me uncomfortable”, says Monique Olivier. While he goes to bury her, she claims to have stayed in the car without seeing anything of the place where he had left her.
Beyond what she had already confessed, Monique Olivier will therefore have said nothing new, including in the face of questions from the lawyer for Estelle’s family who is projecting on the screens of the courtroom a photo of the little girl. Far from the cold portrait of the wanted poster, we see his big eyes and his small nose. “Do you see Estelle there again?” asks the lawyer. “Yeswhispers Monique Olivier, she was cute”. “Are you saying to yourself that you could have saved her?” asks Mr. Didier Seban. “Yes, I’m sorry.”says the accused who appears for the first time to show sincere emotion in front of the court.
Estelle’s family lawyer then tries to get involved. “I beg you, help us find Estelle, this is the last time we will be able to talk about her…”, implores Me Didier Seban. But in front of him, Monique Olivier has already found the frozen expression that she has displayed since the start of her trial. “As far as Estelle Mouzin is concerned, I can tell you that the family expected more. […] Que you tell us more about what happened, about the burial of the body. You don’t go to the end, you don’t say everything. It’s your choice.” concludes the lawyer.