A French court convicts a man of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the 2019 death of his pregnant girlfriend following an attack by a pit bull dog. According to reporting, Christophe Ellul, 51, is found criminally responsible after prosecutors linked the fatal mauling to a dog he had illegally imported and trained to bite. The court’s decision follows DNA testing, which investigators use to determine that the dog involved—identified as Curtis—was responsible for the attack that killed Elisa Pilarski.
The Local reports the conviction is issued on Thursday, while other outlets say the sentence is a suspended four-year term. The accounts agree on the core elements of the case: the man’s role in importing and training the pit bull, the fatal incident in 2019, the victim’s pregnancy, and the use of DNA evidence to connect the dog to the attack. The reporting does not indicate additional charges beyond involuntary manslaughter or the outcome of any appeal.
