French Justice Minister Refuses to Resign Amid Murder Case Controversy
French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin has come under intense scrutiny and has refused to resign from his position following public outrage over judicial negligence regarding the murder of an 11-year-old girl. The murder suspect had been reported to the authorities on allegations of child rape several months before the victim was reported missing and subsequently found deceased. French law enforcement authorities are being accused of negligence in handling the case.
The victim, identified as Lyhanna, was found last week near the town of Fleurance in south-western France, after having been reported missing since 29 May. Darmanin apologised to the public on Friday, 6 June, for what he described as a “major failure” in the handling of previous allegations against the suspect.
The 41-year-old suspect, who is the father of one of the victim’s school friends, had previously been formally accused of raping a child on two separate occasions. One legal complaint was filed in August last year, but the investigation stalled, and police had not interrogated the suspect until Lyhanna was reported missing nine months later.
Darmanin stated that he has ordered prosecutors to re-examine 70,000 legal complaints currently under review across France regarding alleged crimes against children. “Questions regarding my presence (in government) will only arise if I am not held accountable,” Darmanin said during a press conference when responding to journalists. “The question is whether Lyhanna’s case was an isolated failure, or if there are more cases like this systemically,” he added, asserting that he would reveal the full truth to the French people.
In a letter to Darmanin, the head of a judges’ union, Ludovic Friat, noted that French judicial professionals cannot respond to all requests from the Ministry of Justice given that the number of prosecutors is four times lower than the European average. According to the independent commission CIIVISE, only seven per cent of complaints regarding sexual abuse of minors in France result in a conviction.
The murder of the 11-year-old has triggered broader calls for more decisive action against all allegations of sexual abuse against children and women. Meanwhile, the Speaker of the French Parliament, Yaël Braun-Pivet, has urged the government to expedite the review of a bill aimed at combating all forms of “sexist and sexual harassment.” The bill is based on 140 recommendations from women’s rights groups, including suggestions to improve training for police and judges in handling such cases.