France calls for overhaul of child protection system after murder of 11-year-old

The murder of 11-year-old Lyhanna in Fleurance, southwestern France, has sparked nationwide protests and a call for sweeping changes to the country’s child-protection and judicial procedures. Hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside courthouses in more than 150 towns, demanding accountability for a system they say failed to act on prior complaints against the suspect.

Police identified 41-year-old Jérôme Barella, a parent of a classmate, as the main suspect after Lyhanna was found dead on a farm six days after she disappeared in late May. Records show Barella had been the subject of multiple reports of sexual violence against minors, including a complaint filed in August for the alleged rape of a 10-year-old girl, yet he was not detained or questioned until after Lyhanna’s body was discovered.

Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin publicly apologized to the victim’s family and ordered prosecutors to review approximately 70,000 pending child-abuse complaints by 14 July. Activists, including Virginie Bordeaux of the child-rights group Collectif Enfantiste, said the case illustrates systemic failures, urging reforms to ensure earlier intervention in similar cases.

"It’s not a failure of one court, one judge or one prosecutor – it’s the entire system that needs to be reconsidered," said Bordeaux, who co-organized a rally in Lyon.

"If the complaint filed in August had been taken seriously, little Lyhanna would still be alive today," added Bordeaux.

Demonstrators carried signs such as “Je suis Lyhanna” and called for “heads to roll” in the justice system, reflecting widespread public anger over perceived leniency and inaction.

The government’s review aims to address the backlog of complaints and prevent future tragedies, though activists stress that structural changes are needed beyond procedural adjustments.