Lyhanna case: complaint against Darmanin dismissed by Court of Justice
The Court of Justice of the Republic's request commission dismissed the complaint filed by Rosa's mother against former Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin.
Complaint against Darmanin rejected in Lyhanna case
The Court of Justice of the Republic's request commission dismissed the complaint filed by Audrey, Rosa's mother, against former Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin, a source close to the case told BFM TV on Monday 14 September, confirming information from RTL.
Audrey had alerted the authorities nine months before Lyhanna's murder to the actions of Jérôme Barella, the principal suspect in the case. Her lawyer, Me Pierre Debuisson, announced on 29 June the filing of this complaint for "deliberately endangering another's life" and "failure to assist a person in danger".
Rosa's mother had already filed a complaint in August 2025 for rape against Jérôme Barella. Rosa was found dead in the Gers on 4 June, and Barella remains the principal suspect. Despite the accusations, the man had not been taken into custody.
Me Debuisson strongly criticised the commission's decision in a statement transmitted to BFM TV: "In such a sensitive case, which shook the entire nation, and which revealed the gaping flaws in our judicial institution, it is regrettable that the Request Commission did not see fit to seriously examine the complaint filed."
The lawyer also condemned the "numerous dysfunctions that led to the tragedy", which should, according to him, "trigger a reaction, an awakening of consciousness and drastic measures for change". He denounced a "terse decision, comprising five paragraphs of reasoning and issued after only a few weeks", contending that the Court of Justice of the Republic "enshrines the impunity of the Justice Minister… and of the Justice Ministry's administration".
A preliminary inspection mission report, revealed shortly after Lyhanna's death, highlighted "deficiencies in monitoring, coordination and steering of the investigation at the level of the Auch public prosecutor's office and the Condom gendarmerie company", according to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez. This same report specifies that Rosa would have suffered "around fifty rapes" by Jérôme Barella.
On BFM TV, Audrey had also condemned the failings of the justice system and the gendarmerie, which gave "no news" on the progress of her complaint. "Justice did not do its job, it shows that something was missing and they were not there when we needed them," she had declared.
Source: BFM TV