I have one or two basic precepts in life and one of those is that violence against women by a man is wrong. I don't try to think of exceptions or excuses, I just think it is wrong.
In 2003, the French rock star Bertrand Cantat was in Lithuania with his actress girlfriend Marie Trintignant while she was making a film. One night, Bertrand got into an argument with his girlfriend and instead of walking away decided to beat the ever loving crap out of his girlfriend and killed her.
Lithuania didn't know what to do and so passed the buck. They convicted Cantat but instead of making him serve his sentence in Lithuania, they said, "hey go home where you are a hero and serve it in France."
Cantat was sentenced to eight years in jail which is ridiculous enough on its own. However, the French government released Cantat early this morning after serving just four years of the sentence. Cantat was released because of good behavior. Where was that good behavior when he killed his girlfriend?
Under the conditions of his release, the 43-year-old singer must undergo therapy, report regularly to see a judge and cannot speak publicly or publish any songs or audiovisual works about the crime. The measures will be in force until July 2010.
Which means that after 2010 he can make money off the crime which he will do. In actuality, 2010 is when they can be released. He can work on it between now and then if he wishes. Plus, he is already planning on recording some new songs and a welcome back tour is also in the works.
Asshole.
Cantat...Phil Spector, OJ...
ReplyDeleteAmerica is no different. If you have money, you can get away with anything.
Sick, but true.
That makes me sick to my stomach.
ReplyDeletemore and more lately I feel we are living in Medieval Times.
ReplyDeleteHumanity is just so barbaric and depraved
sadly, America seems to be just as bad as anyone else (and worse than most).
Murdering Asshole.
ReplyDeleteSickening doesn't even begin to cover it.
ReplyDeleteI say get a grassroots campaign going to destroy this man publicly.
Both Cantat and Trintignant were completely drunk when it happened. They had drunk three bottles of vodka and also taken pills.
ReplyDeleteCantat had no antecedents of domestic violence or even violence of any kind. His previous partners made a point of this. His band was hugely popular in France. Cantat was preachy on stage and loved to point fingers but the band rocked, as few French bands can, and were Rage Against The Machine- or Red Hot Chili Peppers-big.
Trintignant was a gifted actress who always carried a huge sadness in her parts. She started by playing the girl in an adaptation of Jim Thompson's A Hell of A Woman. If you've read the book, you know it's no easy part. She had four kids by three different fathers.
Cantat had left his wife of 15 years for her when he met her. You could see them in the audience of a concert in Paris, quite loaded.
I won't try to defend Cantat or reduce the case to a crime of passion. He deserved jail for this accidental murder (he didn't beat her to death, he punched her several times and her head struck a piece of furniture) but in France, apart from Trintignant's parents, few people think he deserved to stay in prison for 15 or 20 years.
This case has little to do with Phil Spector, whose agressive tendencies had been known for years. Even if I have much more respect for Spector as an artist than for Cantat.
well, in all fairness to the "sexist" angle here ...
ReplyDeleteif you're going to organize a public jury against this guy, then we need to do the same with Rebecca Gayheart. Her picture or name should not be given and publicity (unless of course it's a mugshot)
wtf ever. He fractured her skull and she died. You can say 'oh well he was drunk' all you want but let's be real here.
ReplyDelete(he didn't beat her to death, he punched her several times and her head struck a piece of furniture)
Are you reading what you wrote?
Fantastic. Hope you aren't in the jury if someone I know gets drunk and beats me to the point that my skull is fractured.
Less than 4 years in jail is shameful. Simply shameful.
What Angela said. Do you guys actually know anything about this case ? Did you even know who Marie Trintignant was before reading this "article"? Do you know anything about Bertrand Cantat (FYI there is absolutely no talk of a record project or a welcome back tour with his band) ? Or anything about the French judicial system ? Probably not. Granted, a 4 or 8 year-old jail sentence is a small price to pay for a woman's death, eventhough it was an accident, but this is a complex tragedy for *all* the parties involved. Please no hasty judgements.
ReplyDelete