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2w ago

Lyhanna Identified After Body Found in Gers

The government has ordered inspectorate reviews and a gendarmerie audit to examine whether earlier complaints about the suspect were mishandled.

Malgré la répétition des accusations, Jérôme B. n'aurait jamais été auditionné. [© Isabelle Souriment / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas via AFP]
Dès la découverte du corps, le secteur a été bloqué par les forces de l’ordre et des équipes d’identification criminelle ont été dépêchées sur place. [Ed JONES / AFP]
Des fourgons de gendarmerie sur une route menant à Puycasquier (Gers), le 4 juin 2026.
L'entrée du collège Hubert Reeves à Fleurance (Gers), où Lyhanna était scolarisée, le 5 juin 2026.

Overview

  • Prosecutors confirmed Friday that DNA comparison formally identified the body as Lyhanna and that medico-legal examinations are ongoing to determine cause of death and whether sexual violence occurred.
  • Police found the body Thursday in a disused agricultural silo near Puycasquier where the principal suspect had worked and where the child’s clothing matched what she wore when she disappeared.
  • The 41-year-old suspect was seen with the girl on the day she vanished, was placed in garde à vue, later charged with kidnapping and sequestration, and is now incarcerated.
  • Investigations revealed multiple prior complaints and signalements dating back to 2017, including allegations in 2022 and 2025 that were not fully acted on, prompting Matignon to order inspections and to request preliminary findings within 15 days.
  • The case has provoked local grief and a planned march, raised threats against judicial staff, and intensified national debate over under-resourced handling of sexual‑violence complaints involving minors with officials warning of possible disciplinary or criminal consequences if inspections confirm failings.