The recent power outages along with my getting a jab in the eye made me emulate Bill Clinton — I’m getting a little behind in my work. Numerous items have accumulated over the past three days, so I’m going collect them in groups based on their general topics.

There were so many cultural enrichment stories that I’ve divided them into two posts, one consisting of videos and the other of articles. One article that accompanies a video report will be posted here with all the videos.

The first video concerns a particularly gruesome murder that took place in the French city of Mérignac, near Bordeaux. The alleged perpetrator is an Algerian culture-enricher, if I am not mistaken. He is reported to have shot his wife and then burned her alive while she was rendered helpless by her wounds.

Many thanks to HeHa, Gary Fouse, and Sassy for the translation, and to Vlad Tepes and RAIR Foundation for the subtitling:

The accompanying article about the murder in Mérignac was translated by HeHa:

Mother burned alive in Mérignac had filed complaint against her companion who had just left prison

In the aftermath of the drama, astonishment and terror are still very much alive in this suburban quarter of Mérignac. A woman aged 31, the mother of three children, is dead in the middle of the street after being burned alive by her companion. He had just come out of prison.

May 5, 2021

There is incomprehension in this suburban quarter of quiet reputation in Mérignac. How could such a drama have happened? At 18:10 Tuesday evening, May 4, when the residents of Avenue Carnot heard cries and bangs.

“At first, we thought it was firecrackers,” says a local resident. “We thought the young people were having fun.”

But very quickly they realized the drama that was building up. According to the first elements, the 31-year-old woman manages to flee from the house, but she can’t go very far, followed by her armed companion in the street.

“We passed him. He passed in front of us with a shotgun and some cartridges. We called the police. In the meantime, he set fire to the house.”

According to the Bordeaux prosecutor’s office, “two witnesses saw her fall to the ground.” Her partner, armed, shot her once, then a second time. She was wounded in her thighs, lying on the street, but still breathing.

The 44-year-old individual, from whom she was officially separated, took a can from a van parked nearby, splashed his wife with a liquid, and set her on fire. The first responders could not save her. The family home, situated a few hundred meters from the scene, was discovered at the same time, partially burned and empty of occupants.

The perpetrator, who left the scene on foot, was arrested by the services of BAC, without any injuries to police, a short time later, at 18:45 in the proximity of Avenue Leon-Blum, in the municipality of Pessac.

The prosecutor confirmed that the subject was heavily armed, carrying a 12-gauge shotgun, a gas pistol, and a cartridge belt. After a preliminary investigation, it turns out that Mounir B. is unfavorably known to police and judicial authorities.

He had just left prison

His wife, Chahinez, was a battered woman. The marital violence, of which she was victim, was known in the neighborhood. According to the same resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, the police had come several times to the conjugal domicile.

“There have been medical reports. The first time, we didn’t understand, she had 75% of her larynx crushed; for me, there had already been an attempted murder.” — A neighbor of the victim

Some neighbors claim that the respective families put pressure on the couple to live again under the same roof. The young woman reportedly agreed. The neighbors explain that the husband had returned to the house a short time ago, in spite of being prohibited to be in contact or to approach his wife, as ordered by the court.

“She was very nice, very discreet. She would close the shutters when her husband was shouting so that the neighbors didn’t hear.” — A neighbor

Already sentenced for violence against the victim

On 25 June, 2020, he had been sentenced by the correctional tribunal of Bordeaux as part of an immediate appearance for willful domestic violence against the same victim, to a punishment of 18 months, with 9 months of a probationary stay of two years with a detention order issued at the hearing.

They had one child together. The two other children of the mother are from a previous relationship. Ages 3, 7, and 11 years, they were not at the residence at the time of the incident.

The two youngest are in child care, the eldest with a friend. They are under psychological care by SAMU. This Wednesday, a psychological unit is in place from 18:00 at the Burck Social and Cultural Center in Mérignac for all those who wish to talk about this trauma.

No telephone

Numerous questions remain to be answered. Had the danger to the victim not been properly evaluated when her companion came out of prison, sentenced for domestic violence? How could Mounir B. be able to return to the conjugal domicile despite the ban on approaching his wife? According to the Bordeaux prosecutor, Chahinez did not use her emergency phone, a telephone given to the victims of domestic violence that allows them to alert emergency responders rapidly using a single touch. Mounir B. was not wearing an electronic bracelet.

An investigation has been opened by the head of the willful homicide and arson division. It has been assigned to departmental security. Mounir B. is still being held in custody on Wednesday.

According to domestic violence victims’ defense associations, 38 women have been killed by their partner or ex-partner since January 2021. With the murder of this mother in Mérignac, this is the 39th killing of a woman recorded in France this year.

The second video reports on the “rescue” in the Mediterranean of 236 migrants who had departed from Libya. The NGO migrant-ferry Ocean Viking brought the “refugees” safely to Pozzallo in Sicily.

Many thanks to Gary Fouse for the translation, and to Vlad Tepes and RAIR Foundation for the subtitling:

The final video is a report from Spain about the arrest of Islamic conspirators who were planning to attack targets in France to avenge the honor of the prophet.

Many thanks to Gary Fouse for the translation, and to Vlad Tepes and RAIR Foundation for the subtitling:

Video transcript #1:

Video transcript #2:

Video transcript #3: