A woman who lost her fiancé in the London Bridge terror attack has formed an unlikely friendship with his killer’s widow.

Rachid Redouane, 30, was part of a trio of jihadists who murdered eight people and injured 45 when they deliberately ploughed into pedestrians on London Bridge, before stabbing as many people as they could in Borough Market on June 3, 2017.

One of their victims was 45-year-old Xavier Thomas – a French tourist who was sight-seeing with his partner Christine Delcros, now 50.

Christine suffered a smashed pelvis in the attack and later testified at the inquest into the tragedy on June 5, 2019.

It was there she saw Redouane’s wife Charisse O’Leary, who told the court she had no idea the father of her daughter was capable of such violence.

Christine was moved to tears by Charisse’s testimony and asked if the two could speak in private, The Sunday Mirror reports.

She said: ‘Charisse was involuntarily linked to this tragedy. I wanted to free her of guilt for the sake of her beautiful daughter.’

The pair met in a courtroom with a translator and Christine hugged Charisse ‘straight away’. They both cried.

Christine told the mum: ‘Live your life and don’t blame yourself.’

Charisse said she appreciated hearing this from a survivor because she felt everyone was blaming her for what her husband did.

Nearly five years later, the women still keep in touch and send text messages to each other on Christmas and on the anniversary of the attack, which is on Friday. 

Christine has since fallen in love with Sebastien Besatti, who survived the 2015 Paris attacks, and met at a support group.

However, Charisse said her husband’s actions have ‘ruined’ every part of her life, including any hopes for romance. 

She told their young daughter her dad was run over but the mum dreads the day her child finds out the truth.

The couple split in January 2017 – a few months before the attack – after Redouane struck Charisse in an argument. 

Pastry chef Redouane met his accomplices, 27-year-old Khuram Butt and 22-year-old Youssef Zaghba, after moving to Barking, east London, in 2016.

All three were shot dead by the police after their frenzied attack.

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