The French government is facing growing public anger following the murder of 11-year-old Lyhanna, a case that has exposed serious shortcomings in the country’s handling of child sexual abuse allegations and placed intense pressure on Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin.
More than 60,000 people joined demonstrations across France on Monday, with many protesters calling for Darmanin’s resignation after it emerged that the man accused in Lyhanna’s killing had previously been reported to police over allegations of sexual abuse involving a child.
The suspect, 41-year-old Jérome Barella, had been the subject of a complaint filed last August by the mother of a 10-year-old girl named Rosa, who alleged that he had sexually abused her daughter on multiple occasions. Medical examinations reportedly supported claims that the child had been abused. However, despite the seriousness of the allegations, Barella was never questioned by investigators during the nine months that followed.
The revelation has sparked widespread outrage, with many questioning how a suspect linked to multiple allegations of sexual abuse remained free without being formally interviewed by authorities. Critics argue that even basic investigative action could have placed him under scrutiny and potentially prevented the tragedy.
Lyhanna disappeared after leaving school in the town of Fleurance in southwestern France. Her body was discovered six days later on a farm approximately 10 kilometres away. Barella, who is the father of one of the girl’s friends, was arrested three days after her disappearance.
Although he has denied involvement in Lyhanna’s death, Barella admitted giving the child a ride in his car to a local swimming pool. During questioning before an investigating judge, he reportedly refused to answer questions related to the case.
Further investigations revealed that Barella had also been mentioned in several other allegations of sexual abuse in recent years, raising additional concerns about why earlier complaints failed to trigger stronger action from authorities.
Rosa’s mother has since announced legal action against the French state and Justice Minister Darmanin, alleging failures in the handling of the case and seeking accountability for what she describes as systemic negligence.
Darmanin has acknowledged what he called “shocking and unacceptable failings” within state services but has firmly rejected calls to step down. The minister has found himself at the centre of a political storm, facing criticism from an outraged public while also receiving pushback from members of the judicial system who reject accusations that magistrates alone are responsible.
The Higher Magistrature Council defended judges and prosecutors, warning against efforts to make magistrates scapegoats for broader institutional failures. The council argued that chronic shortages of funding and personnel have hampered the justice system’s ability to process cases efficiently.
However, appearing before a Senate committee, Darmanin insisted that the issue in Lyhanna’s case was not a lack of resources but a failure to prioritise serious allegations involving child rape and sexual abuse. He said authorities should have applied precautionary measures and taken Barella into custody to assess the accusations properly.
The minister described it as incomprehensible that the suspect had not been detained or thoroughly investigated despite the evidence available. In response to the scandal, he has instructed prosecutors across France to review approximately 70,000 unresolved complaints involving the sexual abuse of minors.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has pledged to strengthen child protection legislation currently being debated in parliament. Proposed changes would increase penalties for repeat child sex offenders, including the possibility of life imprisonment, replacing the current maximum sentence of 20 years.
The case has reignited a national debate about child protection, judicial delays and the effectiveness of France’s response to allegations of sexual violence against minors, with many demanding urgent reforms to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
