French authorities face criticism after 11-year-old's murder and prior abuse reports
An 11-year-old girl was found dead in southwestern France, prompting nationwide protests and scrutiny of police handling of earlier child-abuse allegations against the suspect.
A teenage girl known as Lyhanna was discovered dead near Fleurance in southwest France, sparking protests that drew tens of thousands of participants across the country on Monday. The 41-year-old suspect, Jerome Barella, who is the father of a classmate, said he drove the child to a swimming pool but denied killing her.
Police records show Barella was reported to authorities in August by the mother of a 10-year-old girl, Rosa, who alleged that he had sexually abused her daughter. The complaint remained uninvestigated for nine months, despite Barella appearing in at least three additional abuse allegations involving minors, according to French media reports.
Rosa’s mother has filed a lawsuit against the French state and Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin, who apologized to the family and described the handling of the case as "shocking and unacceptable" but said he would not resign. Darmanin announced a review of roughly 70,000 unresolved child-abuse complaints, while Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu pledged stricter child-protection legislation, including the possibility of life sentences for serial rapists.