Life Sentence Sought for Ludovic Bertin in Victorine Dartois Murder Case

Prosecutors argue Bertin acted as a calculated predator in the 2020 murder of the 18-year-old student, requesting life imprisonment with a 25-year minimum term.

Victorine Dartois, an 18-year-old student, was murdered in September 2020 while walking home in Villefontaine, Isère, after an afternoon of shopping with friends.
Prosecutors allege that Ludovic Bertin, then 25, targeted Dartois with the intent of sexual assault before strangling and drowning her in a stream.
Bertin, now 29, admits to the murder but denies any attempted sexual assault, claiming the act followed an argument after an accidental encounter.
The prosecution has described Bertin as a predator, citing his prior conviction for a sexual assault in 2018 and requesting a life sentence with a 25-year minimum period of incarceration.
The case has drawn significant public attention, with over 6,000 people attending a march in Dartois' memory after her death.