The profile of Ludovic Bertin, Victorine's alleged murderer, detailed by his own family

Accused of the murder of Victorine Dartois and the rape of another young woman, Ludovic Bertin has been on trial since Monday by the Isère Assize Court. The judges try to establish his psychological profile.

“Hard worker”, “protective”, “generous”… the adjectives multiplied at the hearing on Tuesday, to establish a detailed description of Ludovic Bertin, known to the courts for thefts, receiving stolen goods, traffic offences and carrying a prohibited weapon. At 25, he already has ten convictions, recorded between 2013 and 2019. On September 26, 2020, he was, according to his statements, under the influence of narcotics when he crossed paths with Victorine Dartois, an 18-year-old student.

After hours without news, her relatives alerted the police. Less than 48 hours later, her body was found in a stream, her pants down, a few kilometers from her home. After about twenty days, Ludovic Bertin, a father living less than 800 meters from the Dartois, was arrested by the police. His best friend had contacted them, fearing suicide, after witnessing these confessions. The accused allegedly confided in him that he had gone hunting for “prey” to rape her. But having failed, he allegedly preferred to strangle her, according to the reported version.

Four years later, the emotion has not diminished for the victim's family. This Tuesday, November 26, at the hearing of the Isère Assize Court, they discovered the accused in a new light, through the eyes of his loved ones. His wife, whom he met at at the age of 14, spoke of a “very protective” and “generous” husband, despite a “difficult” childhood. The accused grew up in Bonnefamille, a village in the North of Isère, with his mother, his little brother and his five half-brothers and sisters. Of his father, on the other hand, he has kept only few memories. This man, who never recognized him, died when he was 9 years old.

A disillusionment for his brother

In addition to this loss, he also suffered violence from his mother during his childhood. As is often the case, this abuse had an impact on his relationship with his wife, punctuated by acts of verbal and physical violence. A “stormy” marriage, undermined by his reputation as a “womanizer” and his numerous cheating. this is added to an alcohol consumption deemed excessive by the person concerned and a strong addiction to cocaine, which he has been consuming “daily” for two years.

When it was the turn of the older brother of the accused to come forward, At the bar, the praise turned into incomprehension. Sixteen years his senior, he described his younger brother as a “reliable, trustworthy and hard-working” man, according to Le Dauphin. He still admitted that he “didn't really grow up with him”, describing a “normal” family circle, where little room was given to communication. “We know each other, but only on the surface,” he concluded. 

For his brother, it is even difficult to associate the accusations with his brother: “When I learned the facts, for me it was not possible. I do not know him to be violent. At first, I did not want to believe it… And then he confessed. “I still don't understand,” he lamented.