Soissons court orders Curtis euthanised in Pilarski dog-attack case
The Soissons criminal court ordered the euthanasia of Curtis, the dog at the centre of the Elisa Pilarski case, after the fatal 2019 attack in the Forest of Retz in northern France. The court's decision closes one of the most watched French animal-liability cases of recent years: Pilarski, who was pregnant, died during a walk with Curtis while a hunt was taking place nearby. The judicial case turned on whether hunting hounds or Curtis caused the fatal injuries. Veterinary and genetic evidence presented in the case found Curtis responsible for the bites, while French administrative guidance says first-category attack dogs are subject to strict ownership rules. For Belgium Pulse readers, the case matters less as a French crime story than as a warning about cross-border dog ownership, bite training and public-safety enforcement: prior reporting and trial evidence linked Curtis to bite-work competitions outside France, including Belgium.
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About this story
Elisa Pilarski (29-year-old French woman who died in 2019 while pregnant) became the central victim in a long-running dog-attack case. Curtis (the dog owned by Pilarski's partner Christophe Ellul) was the animal examined by veterinary and DNA experts. Christophe Ellul (Pilarski's partner and Curtis's owner) was prosecuted over alleged negligence in leaving the dog with her. The Soissons criminal court (court in Aisne, northern France) handled the criminal proceedings. The Forest of Retz (large forest near Villers-Cotterêts in Aisne) was where the fatal attack occurred. Rallye La Passion (the hunting group whose hounds were initially blamed) was later challenged by expert findings. Service Public (French state public-information portal) explains the legal rules on categorised dogs. American Pit Bull Terrier (pit bull-type dog often covered by breed-specific restrictions) is central because French rules treat some pit bull-type dogs as first-category attack dogs.
How to read this story
The history
The fatal attack occurred on 16 November 2019, and the early public debate focused on a nearby hunt. By November 2020, expert and genetic findings had shifted the case toward Curtis, with Pilarski's genetic material identified on the dog and not on the hunting hounds. Christophe Ellul was later placed under formal investigation, and in August 2024 an investigating judge sent him to trial. The March 2026 proceedings revisited the same core question: whether the death resulted from an unforeseeable animal attack or from negligent ownership of a dog whose training and status should have raised obvious warnings.
Why now
The story is timely because the Soissons criminal court delivered its 11 June 2026 decision ordering Curtis euthanised, years after the 2019 death and after trial hearings revisited the forensic and ownership evidence.
What to watch
Watch whether Christophe Ellul or other parties pursue further legal steps, how quickly the euthanasia order is enforced, and whether French or Belgian animal-safety authorities respond with renewed checks on bite-work training and cross-border dog documentation.
International angle
The case crosses borders because Curtis's origin, breed status and bite-work history were examined against French restrictions while evidence linked the dog to activity outside France, including Belgium. That makes the story relevant to Schengen-era pet movement: animals, owners and training networks can move more easily than national rules align.
What this means for you
Belgian readers who own or train powerful dogs should check documentation, insurance, local rules and travel requirements before crossing borders. The case shows that after a serious bite, courts may examine not only the incident itself but also import history, breed paperwork, training methods, prior behaviour and who allowed the animal to be handled.
What happens next
The practical next step is implementation of the euthanasia order, subject to any procedural path still available under French law. If further appeals or enforcement delays arise, the case could continue to shape public debate on dangerous-dog rules, bite-work training and the evidentiary use of veterinary and DNA analysis after serious animal attacks.
Potential consequences
The ruling could reinforce pressure on authorities and clubs to document bite-work training, dog origin and ownership compliance more carefully. It may also harden public expectations that severe animal attacks should be investigated with forensic tools, not only witness accounts. For Belgian readers, the likely consequence is reputational and regulatory scrutiny around cross-border dog sports rather than an immediate change in Belgian law.
Opposing perspectives
- Soissons prosecution and court
The prosecution frame, reflected in the trial record, treats the case as a preventable death caused by negligent control of a dog whose status, training history and behaviour created a foreseeable danger. The strongest version of this view is that the hunting-hound theory distracted from the owner's duty to understand and control Curtis.
- Christophe Ellul defence
The defence position, as described in trial coverage, argued that Curtis had not previously attacked Pilarski and that the circumstances in the forest left reasonable doubt about how the fatal sequence unfolded. Its strongest point is that the case depended on reconstructing a chaotic event no living witness directly observed.
- Animal-behaviour and public-health researchers
A 2017 Irish Veterinary Journal study found no clear difference in bite severity between legislated and non-legislated breeds in its sample. This frame does not excuse the facts of the Pilarski case, but it warns policymakers against treating breed labels alone as a complete public-safety tool.
Timeline
- 2019-11-16·Elisa Pilarski died after a dog attack in the Forest of Retz while walking Curtis.
- 2020-11-03·Expert and genetic findings publicly shifted responsibility away from the hunting hounds and toward Curtis.
- 2021-03-04·Christophe Ellul was placed under formal investigation for involuntary manslaughter.
- 2024-08-20·An investigating judge sent Christophe Ellul to trial before the Soissons criminal court.
- 2026-03-04·The trial examined the competing accounts of Curtis's role and the nearby hunt.
- 2026-06-11·The Soissons criminal court ordered Curtis euthanised.
Glossary
- First-category dog
- In French rules, an attack-dog category covering certain non-pedigree dogs assimilated to types such as pit bull-type American Staffordshire terriers, with strict ownership restrictions.
- Bite work
- Dog training in which an animal is taught to bite or grip a padded target or handler under controlled sporting or security conditions.
- Involuntary manslaughter
- A criminal offence covering a death allegedly caused by negligence, recklessness or breach of a duty of care rather than intentional killing.
Related to this story
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This briefing was prepared with AI assistance and reviewed by a Belgium Impulse editor before publication. methodology.