France demands justice ministry inquiry after body found in missing child case

Outrage has erupted across France following the discovery of a body during the search for 11-year-old schoolgirl Lyhanna, who disappeared last week near Fleurance in southwestern France. The discovery has intensified scrutiny over alleged judicial failings, as it emerged that the key suspect had been previously accused of sexually abusing children, including a complaint for raping a minor filed last year, yet no action was taken. Formal identification of the body is currently underway.

The key suspect, a 41-year-old father of two, has been detained. After being shown security camera footage, he admitted to giving Lyhanna a lift but claimed he dropped her off at a swimming pool. Prosecutor Clemence Meyer confirmed that an investigation into prior complaints was still underway when the child went missing. A new complaint regarding the alleged rape of a minor was filed on Wednesday, though Meyer provided no further details.

Government spokeswoman Maud Bregeon expressed profound dismay at the circumstances, questioning the institutional response to victims. “What we’re discovering day after day is absolutely unbearable,” Bregeon told Europe 1 and CNews. “It raises a profound question: what importance do we give to victims’ testimonies? How are investigations conducted?”

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez has demanded an inquiry by the justice ministry into the handling of the prior cases. Nuñez highlighted the severity of the situation during a parliamentary address, underscoring the need for a thorough review of how such allegations are processed by authorities. The case has dominated headlines, with around 170 police officers and volunteers on horseback continuing to search the countryside.

Anne-Cécile Mailfert from the activist group Women’s Foundation called for stronger laws to prevent sexual violence, citing the failure of the system to act on previous allegations. “I am stunned and I am angry,” Mailfert wrote on Instagram. “Another 10-year-old girl found the immense courage to tell her parents... They filed a complaint, and then nothing happened. We’re calling for a comprehensive law against sexual violence because the system doesn’t work.”

The incident occurs against a backdrop of national debate on child protection legislation, triggered by the Bétharram abuse scandal involving decades of mistreatment at a Catholic-run school. France is currently debating new measures to protect children and combat violence in schools, adding political weight to the demands for accountability in the Lyhanna case.