Tragic Femicide in Sedan Sparks Nationwide Concern Over Gender-Based Violence

A woman in her fifties was found dead in her home in Sedan, Ardennes, on November 20, 2025, prompting an investigation into femicide. The Charleville-Mézières prosecutor's office reported that early forensic evidence suggested a criminal act, leading to an inquiry for "murder by spouse." The victim's partner, also in his fifties and previously unknown to police, was arrested and placed in police custody. He allegedly made a suicide attempt by causing a car accident after the murder and later confessed to killing his partner. Police found her lifeless body in the basement and blood traces in the living room of their house. This incident follows alarming national data from the interministerial mission for the protection of women (Miprof) revealing that over three women in France fall victim to femicide or attempted femicide daily, a rate that has risen in the last year. This tragic event occurs just days before the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, emphasizing the urgent need for greater awareness and action against gender-based violence in France.