diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes
index a1e8b55..9dfe264 100644
--- a/.gitattributes
+++ b/.gitattributes
@@ -2,3 +2,5 @@
 
 # Preserve BOM/CRLF bytes for canonicalization fixture
 fixtures/input/case03_bom_crlf/raw.csv -text
+
+*.py text eol=lf
diff --git a/docs/HANDOFF.md b/docs/HANDOFF.md
index 979fb76..3456903 100644
--- a/docs/HANDOFF.md
+++ b/docs/HANDOFF.md
@@ -35,3 +35,13 @@ normalizer demo --out outdir
 - No services/daemons
 - No Docker requirement
 - No network calls
+
+## Optional: Python check (stdlib only)
+
+```bash
+# Run the Go demo first (writes + verifies goldens)
+go run ./cmd/normalizer demo --out ./out/demo
+
+# Then run the optional Python verifier on one case
+python3 examples/python/verify_normalizer_case.py --out-root ./out/demo --case case02_errors
+```
diff --git a/examples/python/README.md b/examples/python/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2dffc08
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/python/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+# Optional Python verification (stdlib only)
+
+These scripts are **optional** and use only the Python standard library.
+They provide a second, independent check that demo outputs are internally consistent.
+
+Run the Go demo first:
+
+```bash
+go run ./cmd/normalizer demo --out ./out/demo
+```
+
+Then verify one case:
+
+```bash
+python3 examples/python/verify_normalizer_case.py --out-root ./out/demo --case case02_errors
+```
diff --git a/examples/python/verify_normalizer_case.py b/examples/python/verify_normalizer_case.py
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..85470c7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/python/verify_normalizer_case.py
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import argparse
+import csv
+import hashlib
+import json
+from pathlib import Path
+
+
+def sha256_file(p: Path) -> str:
+    h = hashlib.sha256()
+    with p.open("rb") as f:
+        for chunk in iter(lambda: f.read(65536), b""):
+            h.update(chunk)
+    return h.hexdigest()
+
+
+def read_text_lf(p: Path) -> str:
+    s = p.read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+    if "\r\n" in s:
+        raise AssertionError(f"CRLF found in {p}")
+    return s
+
+
+def load_json(p: Path):
+    return json.loads(read_text_lf(p))
+
+
+def main() -> None:
+    ap = argparse.ArgumentParser()
+    ap.add_argument("--out-root", default="out/demo", help="demo output root (contains <case>/...)")
+    ap.add_argument("--case", default="case02_errors", help="case folder name")
+    ap.add_argument("--compare-goldens", action="store_true", help="also compare output bytes to fixtures/expected")
+    args = ap.parse_args()
+
+    repo = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[2]
+    case = args.case
+
+    expected_dir = repo / "fixtures" / "expected" / case
+    if (expected_dir / "error.txt").exists():
+        # The Go demo handles expected-fail cases by comparing the error string.
+        # This Python check is artifact-based, so we skip these cases.
+        print(f"SKIP: {case} is an expected-fail case (fixtures/expected/{case}/error.txt)")
+        return
+
+    out_root = repo / args.out_root
+    out_dir = out_root / case
+
+    norm_p = out_dir / "normalized.csv"
+    errs_p = out_dir / "errors.csv"
+    rep_p = out_dir / "report.json"
+
+    for p in (norm_p, errs_p, rep_p):
+        assert p.exists(), f"missing output file: {p}"
+
+    # LF determinism
+    read_text_lf(norm_p)
+    read_text_lf(errs_p)
+    read_text_lf(rep_p)
+
+    report = load_json(rep_p)
+    assert report.get("tool") == "proof-first-normalizer", "report.json tool mismatch"
+
+    # Input/schema hashes come from fixtures
+    raw_p = repo / "fixtures" / "input" / case / "raw.csv"
+    schema_p = repo / "fixtures" / "input" / case / "schema.json"
+    assert raw_p.exists(), f"missing fixture raw.csv: {raw_p}"
+    assert schema_p.exists(), f"missing fixture schema.json: {schema_p}"
+
+    assert report.get("sha256_input") == sha256_file(raw_p), "sha256_input mismatch"
+    assert report.get("sha256_schema") == sha256_file(schema_p), "sha256_schema mismatch"
+    assert report.get("sha256_normalized") == sha256_file(norm_p), "sha256_normalized mismatch"
+    assert report.get("sha256_errors") == sha256_file(errs_p), "sha256_errors mismatch"
+
+    rows_total = int(report.get("rows_total"))
+    rows_ok = int(report.get("rows_ok"))
+    rows_error = int(report.get("rows_error"))
+    assert rows_total == rows_ok + rows_error, "rows_total != rows_ok + rows_error"
+
+    # Header order should match schema column order.
+    schema = load_json(schema_p)
+    want_cols = [c["name"] for c in schema.get("columns", [])]
+    assert want_cols, "schema has no columns"
+
+    with norm_p.open(newline="", encoding="utf-8") as f:
+        r = csv.reader(f)
+        header = next(r)
+    assert header == want_cols, f"normalized header mismatch: got={header} want={want_cols}"
+
+    # Optional: byte-for-byte compare to checked-in goldens.
+    if args.compare_goldens:
+        for name in ("normalized.csv", "errors.csv", "report.json"):
+            want = (expected_dir / name).read_bytes()
+            got = (out_dir / name).read_bytes()
+            assert got == want, f"golden mismatch: {case}/{name}"
+
+    print("OK: normalizer demo outputs are internally consistent.")
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()