![Candidat à la présidentielle, l'ancien Premier ministre reconnaît dans le quotidien que "ce qui a manqué, c'est une vraie réforme de notre système judiciaire". [Xose Bouzas / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas via AFP]](/cdn-cgi/image/onerror=redirect,width=640,height=640,format=webp/https://storage.googleapis.com/uploads.mongoosehq.com/url/media/144620204/5cff348894a56d5759b60f4806daeec19e17bb14b64252cae124dfc505c7bc80)
Overview
- The 11‑year‑old girl Lyhanna was found dead on June 4 and the main suspect, Jérôme Barella, is under formal judicial investigation and linked to multiple prior procedures for sexual offences against minors.
- Investigations show repeated missed opportunities: complaints and expert reports from 2017 to early 2026 were often classified or delayed, with one high‑profile file stalled after February 2026 despite medico‑legal and psychological evidence.
- Public anger has been sustained through nationwide demonstrations and funerals, and a national march is planned for 4 July to press for accountability and faster action.
- The government has ordered inspections of the investigative chain and a rapid recensement of about 70,000 complaints involving minors with a target to prioritize the most serious cases before mid‑July; preliminary findings are due ahead of a fuller report in July.
- Officials and politicians propose urgent reforms—shorter mandatory response times, a specialised national parquet for pedocriminality, a registry of pedocriminals, tougher penalties—while investigators warn that chronic staff shortages and a large backlog limit how fast changes can be implemented.