Mother killed children’s abusive father to save them, French court hears

Valerie Bacot admits shooting Daniel Polette, who had raped her aged 12 and had four children with her

To their neighbours in the small village of Baudemont, in the Burgundy region north of Lyon, the Polette family seemed perfectly normal.

They were discreet and did not socialise, but when they did villagers remarked that the four Polette children were well brought up and polite.