Joanna Parrish: Student's murder case features in Netflix series

The parents of Joanna Parrish have waited more than three decades for justice

The parents of a student who a French serial killer confessed to murdering feature in a new documentary on failings in France's justice system.

Joanna Parrish, 20, from the Forest of Dean, was found dead in 1990 in Burgundy, where she worked in a school, having been raped and strangled.

Michel Fourniret was convicted of eight murders and confessed to killing Joanna, but he died in 2021.

The Netflix series examines his wife's role in the killings.

The creators of Monique Olivier: Accessory To Evil claim Fourniret's victims were "reassured" it was safe to get in a car with him because his wife was with him.

Despite confessing to Miss Parrish's murder in 2018, Fourniret was not put on trial before his death at the age of 79.

It is now hoped later this year his wife will finally go on trial for her role in the murder of Miss Parrish and two further French victims of her husband.

The mistakes and failings in the French justice system, which led to years of delays, prompted Miss Parrish's parents to take part in the documentary.

"We wanted to highlight what we see as a dysfunctional French judicial and investigative process," Mr Parrish said.

"They've let us down, they've let Joanna down and they've let the other French families down. We thought that it might be an idea to highlight some of these deficiencies in the system."

Ms Parrish's body was found in a river in Auxerre, Burgundy, on 17 May, 1990

In many meetings with the French authorities Miss Parrish's parents expressed their frustrations about the delays but have never felt the response was satisfactory.

Michelle Fines, the journalist and producer of the documentary, said it reveals Fourniret killed many more people and that Ms Olivier was crucial to those murders.

"Because she was in the car [with Fourniret] victims were reassured. She helped Fourniret to trap and rape," she said.

"When you see the responsibility of Monique Olivier in each rape and murder its really frightening.

"The parents of Joanna Parrish always wondered how it was possible that their daughter could go with a man.

"But when they knew there was a couple, they understood how it could have been possible."

Michel Fourniret in 2008

Ms Fines added: "Joanna Parrish's parents were victims, through their daughter, of Fourniret and Olivier.

"But they were also the victims of French justice for years and years."

She said the French authorities had failed to investigate Miss Parrish's murder properly.

Pauline Murrell, Miss Parrish's mother, said they had also spoken to Netflix to ensure Miss Parrish's story lived on and that she wasn't forgotten.

"She was an absolutely wonderful person. I've got photos around the house and I say to her, 'We'll get there one day,' but 33 years, that's absolutely ridiculous isn't it? That's half our lives," she said.

Monique Olivier: Accessory To Evil is on Netflix in the UK now.

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