French president Francois Hollande has waived the remaining jail time for a woman convicted of killing her abusive husband after a groundswell of support for Jacqueline Sauvage, victimised for decades along with her daughters.

Sunday's decision came two days after Mr Hollande met with Sauvage's three grown daughters.

The decision was not an outright pardon, but allows Sauvage to "immediately seek conditional freedom", the president's office said.

Sauvage was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the 2012 murder of her husband who beat and abused her for nearly 50 years. Her daughters also were abused.

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