Thousands protest in France after death of Lyhanna, 11, as suspect had long criminal history
Lyhanna, 11 years old, was found dead in a former grain silo near Fleurance, France. The suspect, Jérôme Barella, was known to police for nearly ten years and had previously been accused of assaults on children.
Thousands protest in France after death of Lyhanna, 11, as suspect had long criminal history
Lyhanna, 11 years old, was found dead last week in a former grain silo a few kilometres from her hometown of Fleurance in south-western France, reports Expressen citing The Guardian. The girl had been missing for several days before the discovery of her body.
The suspect, Jérôme Barella, 41 years old – the father of Lyhanna's best friend – was arrested and is suspected of abduction. During his interrogation, he denied any criminal act and claimed he had simply driven the girl to a swimming pool, writes The Guardian.
However, it emerged that Barella was known to police for nearly ten years. As far back as 2017, he had been reported for a relationship with a 17-year-old girl. In 2021, he had been dismissed from a cleaning job at a school after behaving inappropriately towards a pupil. The following year, he became a suspect for allegedly raping a seven-year-old girl, but the investigation was closed for lack of evidence.
As of August last year, a mother filed a complaint against Barella for repeated rape of her ten-year-old daughter. Technical evidence indicated that the girl had probably been a victim of sexual violence. The prosecutor in the village of Auch received an order in January of this year to question Barella regarding these accusations, but the interrogation has still not taken place.
On Sunday, thousands of inhabitants of Fleurance protested against police and judicial inaction. Lyhanna's parents carried a sign bearing their daughter's face and the inscription "Never again".
French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said he was "furious" about the situation and acknowledged that the justice system had made mistakes. He took responsibility and announced that no senior magistrate would be going on holiday until he had spoken to the responsible prosecutor, according to The Guardian.
Source: Expressen