Portuguese police have made a dramatic arrest in a case that has sent shockwaves across Europe. Cedric Prizzon, a 42-year-old former French police officer, has been taken into custody on suspicion of kidnapping and double homicide.
Prizzon, a one-time rugby league youth international, had been involved in a bitter public custody battle with his former partner, Audry Cavalier. He had been stripped of his custody rights and had already been convicted of harassing her. The 40-year-old woman and her ex-girlfriend, Angela Cadillac, had gone missing from their homes in the Aveyron area of south-central France last week.
Prizzon was stopped by police in a car near Meda in the north of Portugal, where he was found with his two children, a 12-year-old boy and an 18-month-old baby girl. Officers discovered a pump-action shotgun, fake documents and number plates, and about $20,000 in cash in the vehicle.
The two bodies of the missing women were found in an isolated place, according to police. Procedures to identify the victims and consolidate the evidence are ongoing. A court in Vila Nova de Foz Coa has remanded Prizzon in custody on suspicion of aggravated homicide, desecrating a corpse and kidnapping.
The two children are to be returned to France, authorities said. A judge has prohibited Prizzon from contacting the two children, including through telephone, social media, email, written messages, or third parties.
The arrest of Cedric Prizzon sends a chilling message to perpetrators of domestic violence and child abuse. As a former rugby player, Prizzon's physical strength and intimidating presence must have been a nightmare for his victims. The fact that he was involved in a custody battle and had a history of harassment raises serious concerns about the safety of women and children in such situations.
