The ex-wife of Michel Fourniret, one of France’s most notorious serial killers, is currently on trial for her involvement in the murder of British student Joanna Parrish in 1990. Monique Olivier, who is already serving a life sentence, is also charged with aiding Fourniret in two other murders, one of which involved a nine-year-old girl. The trial taking place in the Paris suburb of Nanterre is finally offering Parrish’s family a chance for justice after more than three decades.
Joanna Parrish, a 20-year-old Leeds University student, was found dead in a river near Auxerre. She had been working as an English teacher during her gap year. The heinous crime involved her being beaten and raped. Fourniret, who was later dubbed the Beast of the Ardennes, had been convicted of seven murders of young women in 2008. Ten years after his imprisonment, Fourniret confessed to Parrish’s murder as well as the two others. Unfortunately, Fourniret passed away in 2021 before he could stand trial for these three specific murders.
Of particular interest in France is the case of nine-year-old Estelle Mouzin, who disappeared in 2003 on her way home from school in Guermantes. Fourniret is purported to be her last victim, however, her body has never been found. Olivier, who was also convicted in the 2008 trial, played an instrumental role in aiding Fourniret’s murderous spree. As his female accomplice, she was able to gain the trust of victims who may have been wary of a lone male perpetrator.
The couple’s modus operandi involved Olivier picking up a hitchhiker in their van, and then further down the road, Fourniret would join, pretending to be another hitchhiker. Olivier first met Fourniret in the mid-1980s through an advertisement he placed in a Catholic weekly. At the time, he was serving a sentence for rape. Their correspondence revealed Fourniret’s disturbing obsession with virginity, referring to young girls as “membranes on legs.” After his release, Olivier agreed to help him find victims.
In a bizarre turn of events, the couple stumbled upon a hidden fortune in gold buried by a gang in a cemetery near Paris. Fourniret learned about the treasure from a fellow inmate and, with Olivier’s help, they retrieved it. However, Fourniret ended up murdering the inmate’s wife later on. Using the money from the gold, the couple purchased a château near the Belgian border, which served as their base of operations for years.
Fourniret and Olivier traveled around France in a van, selecting victims in areas where other serial killers were suspected to operate. This could explain why the police investigation failed to connect the dots sooner. For example, Auxerre, where Parrish was murdered, was already under suspicion due to the actions of Emile Louis, a bus driver imprisoned in 2004 for killing seven young women.
The authorities apprehended Fourniret in 2003 after an attempted kidnapping in Belgium went awry. Olivier began confessing to the crimes the following year, and Fourniret gradually revealed the truth in a confusing and often contradictory manner. While in jail, the couple divorced in 2010. The Nanterre trial will give considerable attention to Olivier’s level of responsibility. Her defense argues that she has a submissive personality and did whatever was necessary to please Fourniret, while the prosecution contends that the murders would not have occurred without her participation.
This trial serves as a painful reminder of the lasting impacts of heinous crimes and the importance of justice for the victims and their families. The pursuit of justice is critical in bringing closure and ensuring public safety. While it is distressing to revisit such horrific cases, it is crucial for society to acknowledge and learn from them to prevent future tragedies.
