France Asks: How Many More Lyhannas?

The murder of an 11-year-old girl has sparked outrage in France. But her case exposes a deeper failure: the system’s repeated neglect of child sexual assault allegations. Last month, the body of Lyhanna was found in an abandoned grain silo on a farm in the Gers region of southwest France. She had been missing for nearly a week. Volunteers had searched the area. Police quickly arrested Jérôme Barella, the 41-year-old father of one of Lyhanna’s classmates. She was last seen alive in his car. Barella has been charged but denies any wrongdoing. Public shock turned to fury when a local prosecutor revealed a key detail. Before Lyhanna’s disappearance, Barella had been the subject of several accusations of sexual violence against young girls. Yet, police never questioned him. The case has forced a national question: Is France taking child sexual abuse seriously? For many, the answer is no. Rokhaya Diallo is a French journalist, writer, and activist.