Death of Lyhanna in Gers: Darmanin apologises, fourth complaint filed against suspect
The body found in Gers is confirmed to be that of Lyhanna, aged 11. The Keeper of the Seals presents his apologies and refers to judicial dysfunctions.
Death of Lyhanna: judicial dysfunctions identified, Darmanin presents apologies
The body discovered in Gers is confirmed to be that of Lyhanna, 11 years old. According to France Info, the case has highlighted serious dysfunctions in the judicial handling of the principal suspect's file, provoking reactions from the highest levels of the State.
Keeper of the Seals Gérald Darmanin presented his "apologies on behalf of the Justice system" on Friday during TF1's "20 Heures" news bulletin. Stating that he was "furious" and pointing to "an immense failure", he claimed that if his suspicions "are borne out", he would draw "all the consequences", by proposing "clearly sanctions" against magistrates for "failings, professional misconduct".
The president of Unicef France, Adeline Hazan, a former children's judge, regretted on Saturday on franceinfo that "everything malfunctioned" in this case. She points to "a systemic problem" and a lack of resources for the justice system. "The investigation services, manifestly, were not properly engaged and it appears that the child's testimony was not heard," she lamented.
On the magistrates' side, criticism of the minister is sharp. Manon Lefebvre, national secretary of the Magistrates' Union, stated on Friday on franceinfo that Darmanin "has no awareness of what is happening in his prosecutors' offices". She accuses him of pointing "the finger at individual responsibility so as to avoid all mention of collective responsibility and above all political responsibility".
The prosecutor of Auch has moreover been the subject of threats, leading the Ministry of Justice to file a complaint on Friday. Frédéric Chevallier, president of the National Conference of Prosecutors of the Republic (CNPR), denounced these pressures on Saturday on franceinfo: "One cannot throw a colleague to the mercy of mob justice."
A fourth rape complaint targeting the principal suspect, Jérôme Barella, 41 years old, was filed on Thursday in Côtes-d'Armor. A young girl reportedly recognised the face of her attacker in photographs of the suspect, for incidents committed in 2023, according to information obtained by France Télévisions from a source close to the case.
Source: France Info