The person arrested following the invention of the physique of a lacking 11-year-old is reportedly the daddy of one in every of her mates
Police in France have ended the seek for an 11-year-old schoolgirl (Picture: AFP by way of Getty Photos)
The primary suspect within the demise of a lacking 11-year-old woman is reportedly the daddy of one in every of her mates – who was beforehand accused of rape however remained free.
French investigators have been trying to find lacking Lyhanna for days.
She disappeared within the southwestern Gers area on Might 29, and the searches ended with the invention of her physique in a disused grain silo.
Police notices mentioned she had been carrying a black-and-white striped high, black shorts and yellow socks with branding from the Japanese manga collection “One Piece”.
On Thursday authorities introduced a baby’s physique wearing “comparable garments” had been discovered.
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Police have been led to the grain silo by a tip-off that the suspect in custody had beforehand labored there, Gers-region prosecutor Olivier Naboulet mentioned on Friday night.
DNA matching confirmed the physique was Lyhanna’s however extra post-mortem work is required to find out the reason for demise, Naboulet mentioned.
Talking earlier Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron joined the outpouring of dismay, saying the case revealed cracks within the system and that he was “shocked”.
“Issues did not occur as they need to have executed. That’s clear. And so it’s unacceptable,” Macron mentioned. “We can’t look her household within the face and say every little thing went properly.”
French media reported the 41-year-old man taken into custody was seen in entrance of Lyhanna’s college within the Gers city of Fleurance and, on surveillance cameras, later noticed driving together with her in his automobile.
He advised investigators that he dropped her off close to the municipal swimming pool, media reviews mentioned.
One other Gers-region prosecutor, Clemence Meyer, mentioned this week that younger women and their households had beforehand lodged a number of complaints concerning the suspect, together with allegations of rape.
An allegation that the person raped a minor at his Gers-region dwelling in 2020 was regarded into, with medical evaluations and police interviews, however authorities closed the case in 2024 for lack of proof, the prosecutor mentioned.
The person was the topic of one other, nonetheless ongoing police investigation for alleged rape when Lyhanna disappeared.
The kid in that case alleges the suspect raped her repeatedly at his dwelling in 2024 and 2025, the prosecutor mentioned.
That case has bounced between jurisdictions.
She additionally mentioned one other allegation of raping a minor was lodged in opposition to the person this week.
The federal government has now launched an overarching investigation.
Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin mentioned officers will take a look at the time it took for casework to be transferred between jurisdictions, why info is transmitted on paper, not electronically, why police seemingly did not comply with orders and “why we did not intervene regardless of many months of complaints in opposition to the person”.
“It is fully unacceptable,” Darmanin mentioned, talking Thursday. “We’re all terrified by this malfunction.”
He mentioned it reveals “our poor organisation and doubtless, the truth that on the Justice Ministry and elsewhere, we do not take the phrases of kids severely”.
