French engineer sentenced to 12 years for joining Islamic State

A French woman, formerly an engineer and described as intelligent with a strong personality, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for her involvement with the Islamic State group. Camille F., a mother of five, admitted to feeling "shame" and "guilt" during her trial.

Camille F. left a career in engineering and embraced her Muslim faith, eventually joining her husband, Sylvain M., in a war zone with their three children in 2013. The court president stated that she and her husband "consciously chose to bring their children into a war zone." Her husband, Sylvain M., who is presumed dead and was tried in absentia, received the maximum sentence of 20 years.

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The sentence is heavy, I agree, but you still need to become aware of the facts you have committed, and their consequences for society and for your five children in particular.

During the trial, experts described Camille F. as a highly intelligent individual who experienced a "tipping point" after a serious motorcycle accident. She developed a "narcissistic vulnerability" and an "affective and emotional dependence" on her husband, Sylvain M., whom she married in 2005. The court did not set a security period, citing a lack of immediate danger, but noted her difficulty in fully acknowledging her adherence to the Salafist-jihadist ideology of IS.

Camille F. expressed remorse, stating, "I wish to ask for forgiveness from my five children for having made them live through hell and (for having) exposed them to certain death." Her family, including her parents, siblings, and two eldest children, attended the trial to support her. The prosecution had sought a 15-year sentence.

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I wish to ask for forgiveness from my five children for having made them live through hell and (for having) exposed them to certain death.