Murder of Lyhanna, 11, in France: main suspect had already been reported for child abuse
The murder of an 11-year-old girl near Toulouse provoked a wave of outrage in France. The main suspect, a 41-year-old man, had already been the subject of several reports for child abuse.
Murder of Lyhanna, 11, in France: main suspect had already been reported for child abuse
The body of an 11-year-old girl, who went missing at the end of May in Fleurance, north-west of Toulouse, was discovered in an abandoned grain silo about fifteen kilometres from her home. Investigators arrested a 41-year-old man on Monday, the father of a classmate of the victim, in the vehicle in which the young girl had last been seen.
What provoked outrage was the man's past. He had already been accused on several occasions of abusing young girls. Two investigations conducted against him had been dismissed for lack of evidence, according to French media. In a third case, he had been dismissed from his position as maintenance personnel at a school following accusations of inappropriate behaviour towards a teenager.
The fourth case particularly shocked public opinion. In August of last year, the mother of a 10-year-old girl had filed a complaint against him for repeated rape of her daughter. A medical examination had confirmed the child's statements, but the man had not even been questioned by investigators.
The mother of this child announced that she had filed a complaint against the investigators, the judges and Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin. She is reproaching them notably with endangering the lives of others and abandoning a person in danger.
The case triggered fierce controversy over delays in judicial procedures. Darmanin apologised on Friday for the errors made in this case, but refused calls for his resignation. He ordered a re-examination of 70,000 cases related to accusations of crimes against children by 14 July. More than 60,000 people demonstrated on Monday evening in several cities in France, according to the AFP news agency.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu proposed increasing sentences for repeat rapists, who could now face life imprisonment instead of the current 20 years. For crimes against children, investigations must be conducted within a maximum of three months. Other measures are being negotiated and will be incorporated into a bill on child protection, which Parliament is expected to examine in July, reports the newspaper Le Figaro.
Source: 24ur.com
Source: 24ur