Liana case: murder of 11-year-old girl becomes political crisis in France
The murder of a schoolgirl of 11 years old in the Gers, France, has become a major political affair following the revelation of serious failings in the judicial system's monitoring of the principal suspect.
Liana case: murder of 11-year-old girl becomes political crisis in France
The murder of a schoolgirl of eleven years old in Fleurance, a commune of 6,200 inhabitants in the Gers department, in south-west France, has become a major political affair, highlighting the gaps in the judicial system. The girl disappeared on 29 May after school and was found dead on 4 June.
According to the Auch prosecutor's office, a witness saw the child in the vehicle of a 41-year-old man. His identification was swift thanks to surveillance images. On 1 June, the suspect, named Jérôme Barela, was committed for trial for abduction and unlawful detention of a minor under 15 years old, then placed in provisional detention.
Barela was already known to police services. In 2021, he had lost his post in a secondary school in the Lectoure region because of "inappropriate behaviour towards a pupil". In 2022, a complaint for rape of a seven-year-old child was filed against him. The case was closed in May 2024, for lack of sufficient evidence. In August 2025, a new complaint for rape emerged.
In total, nine judicial or police procedures had been initiated against him. Despite this, he remained at liberty until Liana's murder.
On 5 June, the Minister of Justice Gérald Darmanin appeared on the TF1 television news and issued a public apology, acknowledging that there had been "serious negligence in the follow-up of complaints". It is rare for a Minister of Justice in France to ask for forgiveness because the system has failed to protect a child.
Political pressure intensifies as the April 2027 presidential election approaches. President Emmanuel Macron spoke of "malfunctioning of justice in this absolute tragedy" and emphasised that there were "systemic and individual responsibilities" that needed to be clarified. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu stated that there were "aggravating elements in the procedure, at all levels", and that the State would re-examine its alert processes.
Yesterday, a hearing of the Ministers of the Interior and of Justice, Laurent Nuñez and Gérald Darmanin, took place in the Senate. The left is calling for a comprehensive reform of the child protection system through an "integral law". The Prime Minister plans to incorporate measures into a draft law in July such as a hardening of sentences for acts of violence and a modification of the rules of prescription.
France Unbowed has demanded the resignation of the Minister of Justice. Bruno Retailleau, president of the Republicans and former Minister of the Interior, argued that Darmanin had already published a circular in January prioritising complaints concerning children who were victims, "but it was apparently not followed". He proposed the creation of a Court of Justice Discipline with citizen participation.
Source: ΤΟ ΒΗΜΑ
Source: Google News CY — Crime (el)