French Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin announced on June 9 that he would not resign amidst a wave of criticism related to errors in the processing of the case file of the suspect in the murder case involving an 11-year-old girl named Lyhanna.
Lyhanna's body was found last week after she went missing on May 29 near the town of Fleurance in southwestern France.
Mr. Darmanin previously apologized for what he described as a "serious failure" in handling allegations against the suspect. The suspect in the case is a 41-year-old man, father of a classmate of the victim, who has previously been officially charged twice with child rape.
A legal complaint against the suspect was filed in August 2025, but the investigation was subsequently stalled. By the time Lyhanna went missing, about 9 months after the complaint was sent, police had not yet questioned the suspect.
The French Minister of Justice said he has asked prosecutors to review 70,000 complaints related to crimes against children being considered nationwide.
He also questioned whether the Lyhanna case is just an isolated case or reflects systemic issues in the handling of similar cases. According to him, the truth will be fully publicized to the French people.
The case sparked broader debates about how to deal with sexual abuse allegations, not only against children but also against women.
In a letter to the Minister of Justice, Mr. Ludovic Friat - head of a judges' union - said that the French judicial team cannot meet all requirements when the number of prosecutors in this country is much lower than the European average.
According to CIIVISE, an independent committee, only about 7% of complaints about sexual abuse of minors in France lead to conviction.
French National Assembly Chairman Yael Braun-Pivet has called on the government to accelerate the process of considering a bill to combat all forms of gender-based violence and sexual abuse. This bill is built on 140 recommendations from women's rights organizations, including proposals to strengthen training for police and judges in handling related cases.
