The Femicide of Chahinez Daoud

The killing of Chahinez Daoud in Mérignac became one of France's most closely examined femicide cases because the crime followed a record of domestic violence, a prior conviction of her former husband and multiple opportunities for authorities to intervene. The later criminal trial established Mounir Boutaa's responsibility for the murder; separate administrative reviews examined failures in the response before her death.

Prior violence and warnings

In June 2020, Boutaa had been convicted of domestic violence against Chahinez. Reporting by Le Monde describes restrictions on contacting her after his release and further incidents that led Chahinez to seek help again.

On March 15, 2021, Chahinez reported another violent episode. Authorities did not locate Boutaa, even though subsequent reviews found that he continued to interact with public services and even appeared at a police station during the period in which he was being sought.

May 4, 2021

On May 4, 2021, Boutaa attacked Chahinez near her home in Mérignac and killed her. The crime attracted national attention not only because of its severity but also because of the documented history that preceded it.

This file does not repeat unnecessary physical detail. What matters for the criminal record is that the 2025 assize court found the killing to have been premeditated.

Institutional reviews

After Chahinez's death, administrative reviews identified errors and failures in the handling of the case. In January 2022, France's national police leadership confirmed disciplinary sanctions against five police officers in connection with those failings.

Those disciplinary findings are separate from Boutaa's criminal responsibility. They do not transfer responsibility for the murder away from the convicted offender, but they are important to understanding why the case became a national reference point in debates about responses to domestic violence.

The 2025 trial

Boutaa went on trial before the Gironde assize court in March 2025. The prosecution presented the killing in the context of repeated coercion and violence following the separation.

Psychiatric experts found that a mental disorder had impaired his judgment, but not abolished his criminal responsibility. The court therefore proceeded to judgment rather than treating him as legally irresponsible.

Verdict and sentence

On March 28, 2025, the Gironde assize court convicted Mounir Boutaa of the premeditated murder of Chahinez Daoud. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a 22-year security period.

The sentence is recorded here as the adjudicated trial outcome. No later appellate reversal was found in the reliable sources reviewed for this file through September 1, 2026.

Timeline

1. June 2020
   Prior domestic-violence conviction

   Boutaa is convicted for violence against Chahinez and later released subject to restrictions.

2. March 15, 2021
   New report of violence

   Chahinez reports another incident. Subsequent reviews identify serious weaknesses in the authorities' response.

3. May 4, 2021
   Chahinez is killed

   Boutaa attacks and kills his former wife in Mérignac.

4. January 2022
   Police sanctions confirmed

   Five police officers receive disciplinary sanctions following reviews of failures preceding the murder.

5. March 24–28, 2025
   Assize trial

   The Gironde assize court hears the murder case and evidence concerning the history of violence.

6. March 28, 2025
   Life sentence imposed

   Boutaa is convicted of premeditated murder and sentenced to life imprisonment with a 22-year security period.

Current status

Solved / adjudicated. Mounir Boutaa was convicted of the premeditated murder of Chahinez Daoud and sentenced to life imprisonment with a 22-year security period in March 2025.