France has in many ways become accustomed to the savagery that has swept the country in the last decade. But the murder of a 19-year-old female student last month may prove a turning point.
The young woman, named only as Philippine, was a student in Paris, described by her peers and her lecturers as clever, conscientious and compassionate. A member of the Scouts, Philippine was one of six children all brought up in the Catholic faith.
She lived in Paris during the week but returned to her home near Versailles each weekend, where she would attend church each Sunday.
