Monique Olivier, the ex-wife of notorious French serial killer Michel Fourniret, has been found guilty of complicity in the murder of British student Joanna Parrish, along with two other French victims. The verdict was reached after a three-week trial, during which Olivier admitted to the accusations against her. A panel of three judges and six jurors deliberated for over 10 hours before delivering the guilty verdict.

As a result of her involvement in the nearly two-decade campaign of kidnappings and killings orchestrated by Fourniret, Olivier has already been serving a life sentence in prison. However, this recent conviction adds a minimum term of 20 years to her sentence. For the Parrish family, who had been waiting for justice for 33 years, this trial brought a last glimmer of hope.

Fourniret, known as the "Ogre of the Ardennes," was previously sentenced to life imprisonment in 2008 for the murder of seven other girls and young women. It wasn't until a decade later that he confessed to killing Parrish, as well as two other victims, Marie-Angèle Domèce and Estelle Mouzin, whose bodies have never been found. Sadly, Fourniret passed away in 2021 at the age of 79, before he could face trial for these additional murders.

During the trial, Olivier did not make a formal plea but acknowledged her involvement in the three killings. She revealed that Fourniret had brutally beaten Parrish on May 16, 1990, before raping and strangling her. Olivier confessed to helping him lure Parrish to her death, describing her own actions as "monstrous... unforgivable." She expressed deep remorse for the pain inflicted upon Parrish and her loved ones.

The couple's modus operandi involved Olivier luring victims into their vehicle, as a woman's presence was less likely to raise suspicion. Fourniret would then attack the victims, often with the couple's young son present in the car to alleviate any fears. Parrish, a student at Leeds University, had placed an advertisement offering teaching and babysitting services. She was hoping to earn money to visit her boyfriend in Czechoslovakia. Tragically, she never made it to that rendezvous.

The prosecution questioned Olivier extensively about why she did not intervene when Fourniret attacked Parrish. They argued that Olivier knew the young woman would die the moment she got into the car and should have stopped Fourniret's actions. Olivier, under intense questioning, struggled to provide satisfactory answers.

Throughout the chaotic trial, Olivier's responses often seemed evasive, and she appeared to withdraw into herself. Little was revealed regarding the fate of Estelle Mouzin, believed to be Fourniret's youngest victim. Olivier recalled encountering the nine-year-old girl shortly after her abduction but claimed ignorance about the location of her body, as well as that of Marie-Angèle Domèce.

Stéphanie Pottier, the lawyer for the state prosecutor's office, described Olivier and Fourniret as a "murderous team" with absolute criminal complicity. Pottier pointed out that Olivier had the opportunity to flee and denounce Fourniret but chose not to, making her an active accomplice in their heinous crimes.

Before the jury retired to deliberate, Olivier offered her apologies to the families of the victims, expressing remorse for her actions and acknowledging their unforgivable nature. The conclusion of this trial brings a sense of closure to the Parrish family and others affected by these brutal crimes, although the pain and loss they have endured will never fully fade away.