Kriti Mehrotra
As a documentary series we can only describe as equal parts bewildering and haunting, Netflix’s ‘Monique Olivier: Accessory to Evil’ truly gives us an insight into the lives of two brutal monsters. That’s because it carefully examines the way serial rapist-killer Michel Fourniret and his complicit titular third wife terrorized young girls across France as well as Belgium for more than 15 years. But for now, if you simply wish to learn more about Sélim Fourniret — the couple’s only son and an unwilling yet crucial part of this entire atrocious saga — we’ve got the essential details for you.
Who is Sélim Fourniret?
Although being the child of anyone infamous isn’t easy, things are significantly worse for Sélim, considering not just his parents’ actions but also the circumstances under which he was conceived. After all, as per the docuseries, he was born on September 9, 1988, almost nine months to the date Monique and Michel committed their first abduction homicide together on December 11, 1987. Though what’s arguably worse is the fact the couple then used him to lure in more victims, making him the center of some of their most heinous crimes while he was a mere infant or toddler.
In fact, according to the Netflix production, Monique and Michel kidnapped 12-year-old Elisabeth Brichet on December 20, 1989, with the help of a hungrily crying Sélim in a Moses basket. The former had actually approached their prey pretending to be the frantic mother of their sick baby, driving the preteen to decide she’ll get into the duo’s car to take them to a nearby doctor.
But alas, that was the last time Elisabeth was ever seen or heard from alive again — just like most of the “au pairs” Sélim’s parents interviewed or hired to serve as his full-time babysitter. “There wasn’t much space, as it were, for little Sélim, other than in the front seat of the car as a way to attract young girls,” the series specifies before adding the couple didn’t really raise doubt because they managed to exploit their child well as a form of reassurance.
Sélim Fourniret Leads a Quiet Life Today
Despite the fact Sélim was merely 14 when the news of his parents’ reality came to light in 2003, he disowned them, relocated to Southern France, and changed his entire identity as soon as he could. He basically made it clear he wanted nothing to do with either of them anymore, which he continues to maintain even today by leading an extremely quiet life well away from the public eye.
The truth is Sélim has spoken out regarding his parents only twice since parting ways with them, and the first one was for Oli Porri Santoro’s tell-all book ‘The Ogre’s Son‘ in 2018. That’s where he described his childhood as “rose-tinted” before conceding “Sélim Fourniret no longer exists. My parents are dead. Now it’s Monique Olivier and Michel Fourniret. They are two strangers.” In other words, if anyone new ever asks him about his roots or parents, he tells them he’s an orphan with little immediate family.
As for his memories with the duo, Sélim said he remembers “Michel as irritable, but never violent beyond a simple smack on the head… He often got angry over trifles, never physical violence, just screaming, verbal violence. He was very bossy. I always wanted Monique more than Michel because we had a bond, she and I.” However, even though he did visit the former once in prison in 2016, he doesn’t think he’ll ever be able to forgive or forget — “If the relatives of the victims manage to forgive them, I will be able to do so,” he said. “But as it will not be possible, I will not be able.”
Yet the most significant bit of information Sélim revealed is the fact he owes his life to his fear of suicide and his cowardice, implying that if he were any braver, he would have killed himself long ago. It’s what his paternal half-sister Marie-Hélène Fourniret did on February 20, 2006, because she just could not go on living with the Fourniret name attached to her at every step of the way. As for his second public stand, this was a statement addressed directly to the director of ‘La traque,’ wherein he explained why he was “repulsed” by this 2021 television movie based on the serial killer couple.
Read More: Where is Monique Olivier Now?
