An Algerian illegal immigrant brutally beat his former girlfriend with an iron bar and then set her apartment on fire after she said she wanted to leave him, a French crime report states.
The 27-year-olf Algerian is accused of violently attacking the 22-year-old woman on Friday at around 10 pm in the centre of Limoges. The couple had been living together after they started a relationship two months ago, and he was said to have become enraged when the young woman announced she wanted to break up with him.
According to the victim, the Algerian threatened to destroy everything. He then beat her with an iron bar and pushed her down a flight of stairs before witnesses intervened to stop the attack, Actu17 reports.
Immediately after the incident, the 27-year-old poured a flammable liquid on the bed, set it on fire, and ran away.
Firefighters put out the resulting blaze, which destroyed much of the home and resulted in the evacuation of five other residents in the building.
Police arrested the Algerian at around 10 am on Saturday at a local station where he was about to board a train.
The case is just the latest report of domestic abuse between a North African migrant and their partner in recent months.
In May, a Franco-Algerian dual citizen was accused of fatally shooting his wife and setting her on fire while she was still alive, allegedly because she was acting too French.
Suspect Mounir B. had told police he thought his wife had been unfaithful and only wanted to “leave marks” by setting her on fire.
In August, a court in Versailles convicted a Tunisian migrant for brutally beating his pregnant wife. During the court session, witnesses to the assault claimed the man had told them: “It is my wife, I do what I want.”