The discovery of the body of an 11-year-old girl who had been missing has sparked outrage after revelations that the prime suspect, purportedly the father of one of her friends, had previously faced rape accusations but had not been detained.
Authorities in France had been conducting extensive searches for Lyhanna, who vanished in the southwestern Gers region on May 29. Ultimately, her remains were found in an abandoned grain silo.
Reports indicated that Lyhanna was last seen wearing a black-and-white striped top, black shorts, and yellow socks featuring characters from the “One Piece” manga series. The police later confirmed that a child’s body dressed in similar attire was discovered.
The suspect, now in custody, led the authorities to the grain silo as he had been employed there previously, stated Gers-region prosecutor Olivier Naboulet. While DNA analysis confirmed the body as Lyhanna’s, further post-mortem examinations are required to determine the cause of death.
French President Emmanuel Macron expressed shock and criticized the handling of the case, acknowledging failures in the system. Media reports identified the 41-year-old suspect as having been observed near Lyhanna’s school in Fleurance before being captured on surveillance footage driving with her. He claimed to have dropped her off near the local swimming pool.
Another prosecutor, Clemence Meyer, disclosed that the suspect had faced multiple complaints from young girls and their families, including accusations of rape. An investigation into an alleged rape incident at the suspect’s residence in 2020 had been inconclusive due to insufficient evidence.
The suspect was also under investigation for another rape allegation at the time of Lyhanna’s disappearance. The case involved a child who claimed to have been repeatedly assaulted at the suspect’s home between 2024 and 2025, leading to jurisdictional complications.
Additionally, a recent accusation of raping a minor against the suspect prompted the government to initiate a comprehensive probe. Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin condemned the delays in transferring case files between jurisdictions, the outdated paper-based information sharing system, and the lack of intervention despite numerous complaints against the suspect.
Darmanin emphasized the need to take children’s statements seriously and criticized the organizational shortcomings within the Justice Ministry and related agencies.