Accused of the murder of Victorine Dartois and the rape of another young woman, Ludovic Bertin has been on trial since Monday by the Isère Assize Court. The judges are trying to establish his psychological profile.
“Hardworking”, “protective”, “generous”… the adjectives multiplied at the hearing this Tuesday, to establish a detailed description of Ludovic Bertin, known to the courts for theft, receiving stolen goods, traffic offenses and possession of prohibited weapon. At the age of 25, he already has ten convictions, recorded between 2013 and 2019. On September 26, 2020, he was, according to him, under the influence of narcotics when he crossed paths with Victorine Dartois, an 18-year-old student. .
After hours without news, his relatives alerted the gendarmerie. Less than 48 hours later, her body was found in a stream, with her pants down, a few kilometers from her home. After around twenty days, Ludovic Bertin, a father living less than 800 meters from Les Dartois, will be arrested by the police. His best friend contacted them, fearing suicide, after witnessing these confessions. The accused allegedly told him that he had gone hunting for “prey” to rape her. But having failed, he would have preferred to strangle her, according to the version reported.
Four years later, the emotion continues for the victim’s family. This Tuesday, November 26, at the hearing at the Isère Assize Court, they discovered the accused in a new light, through the eyes of those close to him. His wife, met at the age of 14, spoke of a “very protective” and “generous” husband, despite a “difficult” childhood. The accused grew up in Bonnefamille, a village in Nord-Isère, with his mother with his little brother and his five half-brothers and sisters. Of his father, on the other hand, he kept few memories. This man, who never recognized him, died when he was 9 years old.
A disillusionment for his brother
In addition to this loss, he also suffered violence from his mother during his childhood. As is often the case, this abuse had an influence on his relationship with his wife, punctuated by acts of verbal and physical violence. A “stormy” marriage, undermined by his reputation as a “womanizer” and his numerous deceptions. Added to this is alcohol consumption considered excessive by the main person concerned and a strong addiction to cocaine, which he has consumed “daily” for two years.
When it came the turn of the accused’s older brother to take the stand, the praise turned into incomprehension. Sixteen years his senior, he described his younger brother as a “reliable, trustworthy and hard-working” man, according to The Dauphiné. He admitted all the same “not having really grown up with him”, describing a “normal” family circle, where little room was given to communication. “We know each other, but on the surface,” he concluded.
For his brother, it is even difficult to associate the accusations with his brother: “When I learned the facts, for me it was not possible. I do not know him to be violent. At the beginning, I did not wanted to believe it… And then he confessed. I still don’t understand,” he lamented.