May 25, 2018

"Once the blaze was doused, firefighter Thomas Hunt’s eyes zeroed in on the ashes: clothing, jewelry, and a human nose and fingers appeared to be in the smoking pile."

"'Why are you burning a body?' the disturbed firefighter asked the homeowner, Ouissem Medouni, Hunt would later testify. 'It’s a sheep,' Medouni, a French Algerian financial analyst, replied. 'Bollocks,' the firefighter answered. Later, Hunt would tell a court Medouni then insisted the remains were from an animal, but that a look of 'resignation' crossed his face, as if 'the game’s up.'"

From "A London couple’s shared delusions led to the torture and death of French au pair" (WaPo).
[T]he judge in the case noted the crime was a remarkably rare instance of “folie a deux” — or dual psychosis. [Sabrina] Kouider, diagnosed with depression and borderline personality disorder, had affected [infected?] her lover with her own unhinged delusions. The testimony presented at the trial showed the couple submitted the young au pair to starvation and brutal torture until she admitted her part in the fantasy that had twisted both Medouni’s and Kouider’s minds — a convoluted paranoia about Kouider’s ex-boyfriend, a famous Irish pop star.... Mark Walton... of the 1990s boy group Boyzone....

Fifteen months before her death, Sophie Lionnet had come to work for Kouider and Medouni..... At the trial, prosecutors stated that during the last six weeks of Lionnet’s life, the couple had become convinced Walton had seduced Lionnet, and that in return the au pair was drugging Medouni so Walton could sneak into the home and sexually abuse Medouni.

The couple began starving Lionnet and subjecting the au pair to brutal interrogation sessions, beating and dunking her head underwater until she admitted she was in league with Walton, according to testimony. The couple recorded the sessions on their cellphones. Police recovered eight hours of interrogation footage.

“So where is [Mark Walton’s] house? Because you fancy him, he is charming. . . . I don’t think he abused you, you wanted it,” Kouider told the au pair in one of the final sessions, according to the Telegraph. “And whenever you come back to the house, I smell sex.”

31 comments:

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

Q the lectures from the left about how you're not allowed to fear Islam.

But it's perfectly OK to be a Christophobe.

Gahrie said...

Why the hell did she stick around? I would have been in a police station after the first dunking.

robinintn said...

"...the fantasy that had twisted both Medouni’s and Kouider’s minds..." Look out! Who knows when a fantasy might just blow in and start twisting. It could happen to any one of us at any time.

Ralph L said...

Someone better keep an eye on those kids when they get older.

Robert Cook said...

"Why the hell did she stick around? I would have been in a police station after the first dunking."

You don't appreciate how intense pressure placed on people in constrained circumstances can compel them to submit to abusive treatment and comply with unreasonable demands. Police interrogators use their knowledge of and skill in manipulating this aspect of human nature to extract confessions from suspects...even some who are not guilty.

Darrell said...

even some who are not guilty.

Cookie's concerns are for the guilty. Surprisingly.
Why don't you start a campaign to free them?

Owen said...

Cook: "...constrained circumstances...". What was her situation? Was she physically locked up? Was there no phone or email or Twitter or other means of reporting her situation and seeking help? Was she not sent out to buy groceries or do other errands, giving her a chance to flee? Could she not break a window and scream for help?

Facts would be useful here.

Darrell said...

The future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam.
--Barack Obama

Henry said...

Some days Althouse is a circus sideshow.

Big Mike said...

Pity the Brits gave up hanging.

Wince said...

The judge in the case noted the crime was a remarkably rare instance of “folie a deux” — or dual psychosis. Kouider, diagnosed with depression and borderline personality disorder, had affected [infected?] her lover with her own unhinged delusions.

“And whenever you come back to the house, I smell sex.”

Yeah mama this must be my dream

I smell sex and candy here
Who's that lounging in my chair
Who's that casting devious stares
In my direction

Mama this surely is a dream
Yeah mama this surely is a dream
Yeah mama this surely is a dream
Yeah mama this must be my dream

Ralph L said...

Looks like the girl's mother would have kept in contact.

Ralph L said...

The fireman should have kept his mouth shut and called the police quietly, unless he was carrying an ax, as firemen often do.

Darrell said...

They should have told the constable that they were burning goats and it was a Muslim thing. Call Sadiq Khan, if you don't believe us.

Jupiter said...

Big Mike said...
"Pity the Brits gave up hanging."

Not just the Brits.

Dagwood said...

Hey, at least they couldn't shoot her.

mccullough said...

Not so insane that he didn’t lie about the body being not human.

Ralph L said...

If they had any sense, they'd have thrown a couple of sheep on the barbee, but they are crazy and stupid.

sparrow said...

Cook's 8:26 am comments are completely reasonable: innocents have been prosecuted and sometimes pressured to confess or plea to escape extreme pressure. Mueller's done it, Nifong comes to mind. Surely there are other examples.

Darrell said...

Good thing that they kept the tapes of the torture sessions, otherwise certain commenters here would be painting up signs to free the killers.

eric said...

I find it interesting how readily they are to accept insanity as an excuse.

Carter Wood said...

David Cronenberg mastered folie a deux in the 1988 film, Dead Ringers. Jeremy Irons playing twin gynecologists, Bev and Elliot Mantel.

Unsurprisingly, it's a creepy film.

Robert Cook said...

"Cook: '...constrained circumstances....' What was her situation? Was she physically locked up? Was there no phone or email or Twitter or other means of reporting her situation and seeking help? Was she not sent out to buy groceries or do other errands, giving her a chance to flee? Could she not break a window and scream for help?"

She was living in their home, away from her home and family. She worked for them and was dependent on them for her income, so there was already an imbalance in the power relationship. That's enough, if her personality was sufficiently compliant and not disposed to fighting back.

William said...

I didn't read the article. I don't like stories about the ultimate extremes of cruelty and vulnerability.......This is sick shit. My God, they engaged in waterboarding. That makes their other crimes pale.

Gospace said...

A London couple, downplaying the obviously historic origins of Ouissem Medouni and wife Sabrina Kouider, in an attempt to make them British. Not a typical English type crime. Really want to hide the elephant in the room.

Robert Cook said...

"A London couple, downplaying the obviously historic origins of Ouissem Medouni and wife Sabrina Kouider, in an attempt to make them British. Not a typical English type crime. Really want to hide the elephant in the room."

Yep, right: obviously, the logical reason for their sadism and murder is: MUSLIM!

Oy vey!

mockturtle said...

eric states the obvious: I find it interesting how readily they are to accept insanity as an excuse.

Yes. But then, we know how prone Muslims are to mental illness. /sarc

Ken B said...

Wow Cookie, that's some stereotyping you are up to. The WaPo piece plays down that the couple are *French*, which is mentioned right off the bat by most reports, and is suggested by their names.

Here's one. No mention of Islam. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/sophie-lionnet-murder-sabrina-kouider-and-ouissem-medouni-found-guilty-of-killing-their-french-nanny-a3847406.html

No mention of Islam in any of the British stories I saw.

Larvell said...

Yeah, when I see that someone named Ouissem Medouni and his wife burned a woman because they don't approve of her sexuality, I think, "London couple."

madAsHell said...

"Never get into bed with someone who has less money, and more problems than yourself."

It turns out my old man was right!!

VaneWimsey said...

I guess this is the kind of article we need so that democracy doesn't die in darkness.