Jérôme Barella's father had escaped prosecution for sexual abuse of a teenager
The man, father of the primary suspect in Lyhanna's death, had been reported for touching and forced sexual relations with a minor girl. The case ended with a decision to close the file in 2021.
Jérôme Barella's father had escaped prosecution for sexual abuse of a teenager
The circle surrounding the Lyhanna case is the subject of new revelations. The father of Jérôme Barella, a person implicated in the child's death in Gers, had himself faced an accusation of deviant sexual behaviour towards a minor, a public television channel learned from a judicial source, confirming information from a private radio station.
In 2013, the stepdaughter of Joël Barella, then approximately thirteen years old, had reported touching and forced sexual relations that allegedly took place over a period of three years. The investigation had led to custody and the opening of a judicial inquiry in 2015 in Hérault.
The person implicated had been heard as an assisted witness. Six years later, in 2021, the judge decided not to refer him to a court. The young woman had contested this closure before abandoning her appeal.
These elements add to the numerous questions raised about the handling of the family case by law enforcement and the judiciary. The son, Jérôme Barella, had already been identified for acts of brutality but had regained his freedom under supervision before the tragedy.
Source: franceinfo
Source: France Info