France Demands Justice Overhaul After Murder of 11-Year-Old Lyhanna in Gers

France’s justice system faced mounting political pressure after the murder of 11-year-old Lyhanna, whose body was found in south-western France last week in an out-of-use grain silo between two villages in the Gers area.

“The murder of little Lyhanna shocked France”

Actu.fr

Lyhanna went missing on 29 May near Fleurance, a small town of about 6,000 people that lies 50 miles (80km) outside Toulouse, and her disappearance sparked protests across France.

Actu.fr

The BBC reported that more than 60,000 people took part in protests across the country on Monday following the killing, with many demanding the resignation of Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin.

The European Conservative said demonstrations were held in more than 160 towns and cities after calls from feminist and child protection groups, and it described rallies outside courthouses and the Ministry of Justice in Paris where demonstrators called for Darmanin’s resignation.

Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin told the Senate that “What is missing in this story is not a new law; it's not more money; it's not better IT. It's the need to prioritise allegations of rape,” as he ruled out resignation.

The BBC also reported that the Higher Magistrature Council (CSM) said it “deplored the discredit being thrown on thousands of magistrates” because the affair was being “instrumentalised by people who have decided in advance that magistrates are the guilty parties.”

BBC

In parallel, the Guardian quoted family lawyer François Roujou de Boubée saying, “Frankly, if the justice system had more resources, this tragedy and all the others wouldn’t have happened,” as he called for more funding for the struggling justice system.

The Guardian added that Roujou de Boubée said the victim’s family and he trusted in the justice system, and that they did not want the government to use her murder for political reasons or to promise any new law or reform.

Darmanin ordered prosecutors to review some 70,000 complaints of sexual abuse on minors that are still awaiting treatment, and the BBC said Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu promised to toughen a law on child protection currently going through parliament.

The Irish Times reported that Darmanin ordered French prosecutors to review some 70,000 pending complaints involve child victims before July 14th, while also describing how the government announced plans to toughen sentences and force investigations to take no longer than three months.

Rosa’s mother, who told French media she would sue the state and the justice minister, said “Nothing was done. The justice system didn’t do its job. Why did we have to wait a year? Why wait until Lyhanna died?”

RFI reported that the mother of a 10-year-old girl who filed a complaint against Jérôme Barella for the rape of a minor would bring a lawsuit against the French state for gross negligence and against Minister of Justice Gérald Darmanin, with lawyer Pierre Debuisson telling RTL radio that two legal proceedings would be undertaken.