The defamation complaint filed by Jonathann Daval’s defense against Alexia’s mother and sister has been dismissed, as announced by the Vesoul prosecutor’s office on March 26th. Daval was sentenced to twenty-five years in prison in November 2020 for the murder of his wife, Alexia. The case was closed due to a lack of prior complaint, as Daval no longer wanted to cause harm to the Fouillot family with a new complaint, according to prosecutor Arnaud Grécourt.
On February 19, 2024, Daval’s lawyers filed a complaint for public defamation against Isabelle Fouillot and Stéphanie Gay, Alexia’s mother and sister, regarding statements made in a television series called “Alexia: Our Daughter”. However, Daval later stated in an police interview that he did not watch the documentary and did not wish to file a complaint against the two women. The laws on freedom of the press require a formal complaint from the defamed person for defamation charges to proceed, and since Daval did not wish to press charges, no legal action can be taken.
According to Randall Schwerdorffer, Daval’s lawyer, Daval changed his mind between initially filing the complaint and his interview with the police. The lawyer suggested that the public reaction to the complaint affected Daval, leading him to want the matter to end. The complaint alleged that the television series portrayed Daval in a false light, accusing him of intentionally poisoning his wife to cause a miscarriage and induce illness. These claims were not presented during Daval’s trial at the Assize Court of Haute-Saône, leading to the defamation complaint.
Jonathann Daval strangled his 29-year-old wife in 2017 at their home in Gray-la-Ville, before burning her body in a forest. After initially portraying himself as a grieving widower in the media, Daval confessed to the murder during a violent marital dispute, followed by the cremation of his wife’s body. Daval is scheduled to appear in court on April 10 for false accusations against his in-laws, including accusing his brother-in-law of Alexia’s murder before admitting his lie.
The case of Jonathann Daval has been highly publicized due to the nature of the crime and the subsequent revelations during the trial. The legal proceedings, including the defamation complaint, have added layers to the complex story of Daval’s actions in the murder of his wife. The outcome of these legal battles will have consequences for Daval and the family members involved in the case, shedding light on the intricacies of the justice system and the impact of public opinion on legal proceedings. Despite the twists and turns in the case, the pursuit of justice for Alexia continues to unfold in the courtroom.
