Monique Olivier trial: Estelle Mouzin 'asked for mum' in final hours

Estelle Mouzin, aged nine, was kidnapped in 2003

The ex-wife of a French serial killer has described the last hours of one of his victims, explaining how the nine-year-old had "asked for her mum".

Monique Olivier is on trial in Paris for her role in the murder and kidnapping of three young women and girls.

One of the women includes Joanna Parrish from Gloucestershire.

In court, Olivier apologised to the family of Estelle Mouzin, saying she should have "saved her".

Monique Olivier told the court that she should have saved nine-year-old Estelle Mouzin

Olivier described how her husband Michel Fourniret, who confessed to Joanna's murder in 2018, and died in 2021, had kidnapped Ms Mouzin in 2003.

She said that she had first seen the child at Fourniret's sister's house, which he inherited and had watched over Ms Mouzin while Fourniret went to work at a nearby school.

"She said 'I want to see my mum'. I told her she would see her mum soon and I took her to the toilet," Olivier told the court.

She admitted Estelle had had no food for 24 hours, and had only drunk a glass of water.

"I should have [saved her]. I don't know why I didn't do it," she said.

Fourniret, pictured here in 2004, died in jail two years ago

Olivier added that she felt ashamed that the family were in court listening to "this monster speak about their daughter".

Under questioning, the 75-year-old admitted that Estelle may have been drugged, and that she was sad and had "cried a lot".

"She was far from her family, and afraid," Olivier added.

The court was shown an old, stained mattress on which Estelle's DNA was found, along with that of another of Fourniret's victims, Celine Saison.

The mattress was in the house where Ms Mouzin was kept.

In court, Olivier said Estelle was not tied up, contradicting a previous statement.

Other contradictions in when and how Fourniret had assaulted and murdered Estelle were also brought to the court's attention.

Joanna Parrish, a 20-year-old student from Gloucestershire, was one of the victims

Lawyers for the victims' families argue that Olivier was complicit in these crimes, and reject her defence that she was controlled by Fourniret.

Ms Mouzin's kidnapping became a well-known case in France, partly because her body has never been found.

Her father, Eric, was in court for the proceedings and has led a decades-long campaign for justice.

Olivier said Fourniret had killed Estelle one evening, telling his then wife "it's finished".

She said she didn't ask how he had killed her, but he had "probably" strangled the nine-year-old with his hands.

She continued to deny any knowledge of where Fourniret had left Estelle, but acknowledged she was present and had provided a spade and a pickaxe.

The body had been wrapped in a shower curtain.

Olivier was again presented with the possibility that Joanna Parrish had been taken to their home in St Cyr-les-Colons before her murder in 1990, and will be questioned about this on Friday.