Overview
- The body of 11‑year‑old Lyhanna was found on June 4 near Fleurance and Jérôme Barella, 41, has been placed under formal investigation and is in pretrial detention.
- Press investigations show multiple prior complaints against Barella since 2017, including a 2022 rape complaint and an August 2025 allegation that were not pursued before Lyhanna’s disappearance.
- Journalists revealed that the U.S. National Center for Missing and Exploited Children sent alerts about Barella to France’s Office for Minors (OFMIN) in 2023 that were not forwarded to prosecutors or investigated at the time.
- The government has ordered inspections of local judicial services, the Justice Minister asked prosecutors to review minors‑related sexual‑violence cases, and a protection‑of‑minors bill is scheduled for debate on July 15.
- Investigations are widening to include Barella’s family members, public protests continue and victims’ groups are pressing for a broad, fully funded ‘loi intégrale’ and a parliamentary inquiry into systemic failures.