Thousands march for French schoolgirl murdered after police failed to question suspect
Thousands gathered in Fleurance, France, to honor 11-year-old Lyhanna, whose murder has ignited outrage over police failures. The suspect, Jérôme Barella, had a history of allegations but was not questioned before her abduction. French President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged the unacceptable failures in the justice system and called for accountability.
- ▪Lyhanna's parents led a silent march in her memory, with many participants wearing white shirts bearing her portrait.
- ▪Jérôme Barella, the suspect, had been on the police's radar since 2017 due to previous allegations of child sexual abuse.
- ▪The French justice minister acknowledged a backlog of 3 million police complaints, including 70,000 related to sexual assault.
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Lyhanna's father and mother take part in a silent march in tribute to Lyhanna. Photograph: Lionel Bonaventure/AFP/Getty ImagesView image in fullscreenLyhanna's father and mother take part in a silent march in tribute to Lyhanna. Photograph: Lionel Bonaventure/AFP/Getty ImagesFranceThousands march for French schoolgirl murdered after police failed to question suspectJérôme Barella had been accused of rape in months before murder but series of delays meant police had failed to summon him for questioningKim WillsherSun 7 Jun 2026 11.48 EDTLast modified on Sun 7 Jun 2026 11.58 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleThousands of mourners have turned out for a silent march for a 11-year-old schoolgirl whose murder prompted widespread outrage when it emerged police had failed to question the…
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