It should normally be executed on April 27. France on Friday called on the American authorities to “stay the execution” of the American-Mexican Melissa Lucio, sentenced to death for the murder of her daughter after a controversial trial.
“France recalls its constant opposition to the death penalty, in all places and in all circumstances,” said the deputy spokesperson for the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “She remains committed with determination to the universal abolition of this unjust, inhuman and ineffective punishment,” he added.
In 2007, 2-year-old Mariah was found dead in her home, covered in bruises, days after falling down some stairs. For 15 years, her mother, Melissa Lucio, has maintained her innocence.
Millions of people mobilized
When the girl died, the life of Melissa Lucio, 12 children and pregnant with twins, was marked by both physical and sexual assault, drug addiction and precarious conditions. She is immediately suspected of having hit her. But the handicaps of the girl, likely to explain her fall, had not been taken into account by the experts, according to her defense, which ensures that the bruises could have been caused by a blood circulation disorder. None of Melissa’s children had accused her of being violent.
Personalities like reality star Kim Kardashian have since mobilized in her favor. His situation has moved as far as Latin America, where many media tell his story. She is the first woman of Hispanic origin to be sentenced to death in Texas, the state that executes the most in the 21st century.
In France, Christiane Taubira, former Keeper of the Seals and ex-candidate for the 2022 presidential election, also committed herself to her, believing that she was probably “victim of a miscarriage of justice”.
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