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French police officers guard an agricultural silo where a body was found during the search for the missing eleven-year-old girl Lyhanna. Photo: Frederic Lancelot/AP/dpa
Keystone
There is now sad certainty in the case of the eleven-year-old girl who disappeared in France, which has caused outrage right up to government level. The child's body discovered on Thursday in a grain silo in a village near Toulouse is that of Lyhanna, who has been missing for a week, public prosecutor Olivier Naboulet announced in a statement following an autopsy, quoted by French media. Further investigations are needed to determine the cause of death.
A 41-year-old man and father of a schoolmate, who took the eleven-year-old by car on Friday last week, allegedly to drop the child off at the swimming pool at her request, has been in custody for several days. The police suspect him of having something to do with the fate of the girl.
As it turned out, there were several charges and investigations against the man for the rape of minors, some of which the judiciary dropped or let slide. Since the last complaint in August 2025, the man has not even been questioned by the police, reported the newspaper "Le Figaro".
"It is obvious that there is a failure here and we cannot overlook the fact that weaknesses have come to light; these must be clarified (...) as well as the responsibilities that play a role here," said President Emmanuel Macron. The day before, Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin had already said that the justice system's handling of the information about the suspect was "completely unacceptable" and that it was a "failure".
The fate of the girl has now become the number one news topic in France and many people and politicians have expressed their shock that the justice system is apparently unable to guarantee the protection of children in practice.
05.06.2026, 21:29
