Criticizing Venat's action is like criticizing historical character by today's moral standard.
It is not making any sense just like you are criticizing 70s computers for being slow in year 2022.
Morality is something that humanity work hard to develop in a progressive track.
You will always find morality of the pass inferior with today's standard.
Criticizing historical figures for a lack of awareness of a morality that was yet to emerge is absurd.