Tens of thousands of people protested across France, including in front of the justice ministry in Paris, on Monday evening, following the murder of an 11-year-old girl. The lawyer for the family of the victim, identified only as Lyhanna, has called for increased funding for the struggling justice system, amid a political dispute over the state's failure to address sexual violence against children.
Lawyer's Plea for Resources
François Roujou de Boubée, the family's lawyer, stated on Tuesday: "Frankly, if the justice system had more resources, this tragedy and all the others wouldn't have happened. The victim's family and I trust in the justice system. So enough is enough." He emphasized that the family did not want the government to exploit Lyhanna's murder for political gain or to promise new laws or reforms. He also cautioned against blaming investigators.
Details of the Case
Lyhanna disappeared on 29 May near Fleurance, a small town about 50 miles from Toulouse. Her body was discovered a week later in an abandoned grain silo in the Gers area. She was last seen leaving school with Jérôme Barella, a 41-year-old father of a classmate. Barella, who was taken into custody before the body was found, denies killing her, claiming he dropped her off at a local swimming pool.
Outrage erupted when it emerged that Barella had been reported to police multiple times for alleged rapes of girls in recent years but had not been arrested. In August 2025, he was reported for allegedly raping a 10-year-old girl, but nine months later, when Lyhanna went missing, he had not been questioned. He worked as a cleaner at several schools and was fired from one for inappropriate online behavior with a female student.
Mother's Lawsuit
On Tuesday, the mother who reported Barella for the alleged rape of her daughter, identified only as Audrey, announced she would sue the state and Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin for failing to act. She claimed Barella manipulated her daughter, saying: "He said to her: 'If you tell anyone I'll go to prison and kill myself.'" Despite medical and psychological evidence supporting her daughter's case, Audrey said police repeatedly told her "the investigation is ongoing" and threatened to sue her for harassment. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said call logs would be reviewed to identify the officer who made that comment.
Audrey's lawyer, Pierre Debuisson, called for a more "humane" justice system, noting that while most investigating magistrates are excellent, some are "catastrophic" and some investigators have been lazy.
Political Reactions
Darmanin has refused to resign but acknowledged a "huge failure" in handling the previous accusations. He ordered 70,000 legal complaints for violence against children to be re-examined within a month. However, Roujou de Boubée dismissed this as unrealistic given the lack of resources.
Before a minute's silence in parliament, National Assembly leader Yaël Braun-Pivet said: "France has collectively failed. The problem is systemic." Marine Le Pen of the far-right National Rally called for reflection on the justice system's workings. Clémence Guetté of La France Insoumise urged the government to allocate resources for justice, training, and prevention. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu convened a crisis meeting and announced new legislation on sexual and sexist abuse to be examined next month.
Protests and Statistics
Tens of thousands protested outside the justice ministry in Paris and courtrooms nationwide on Monday night. Many attendees were survivors of childhood sexual violence frustrated with the slow handling of complaints. Anne-Cécile Mailfert of the Women's Foundation said: "Our anger is against a system which does not reform, and against a government that won't listen to us."
Ludovic Friat, head of a magistrates' union, wrote to Darmanin highlighting that French judicial professionals have "four times less prosecutors than the European average." According to Ciivise, an independent commission on incest and sexual violence against children, only 7% of sexual assault complaints involving minors in France result in a conviction.
