Fleurance – 05 June 2026: Following the disappearance of 11-year-old Lyhanna on the afternoon of 29 May 2026 outside her secondary school in Fleurance, police delivered heartbreaking news six days later: the girl’s body was found in an abandoned grain silo approximately 15 kilometres from her place of residence. Her identity was confirmed through DNA testing. The exact circumstances of her death are still under investigation.
During the investigation, Jérôme B., 41, the father of one of Lyhanna’s friends, was arrested as the main suspect. The man had a record for sexual abuse of minors. It is particularly alarming that in August 2025, a complaint had already been filed against him for the repeated rape of a minor daughter, which nevertheless did not lead to his arrest. On the day Lyhanna disappeared, Jérôme B. was seen near the school, and there are witnesses who say they later saw him with the pupil in his car.
On 1 June 2026, the public prosecutor’s office filed charges of kidnapping and unlawful deprivation of liberty of a minor under the age of 15. Jérôme B. was subsequently remanded in custody.
The case has sparked nationwide outrage and raised questions about the effectiveness and speed of response of the French justice system. President Emmanuel Macron and Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin criticised bureaucratic obstacles and insufficient measures by the authorities. In response to the tragic events, an independent investigation has been launched to determine whether there were omissions or erroneous decisions in the handling of the suspect.
The municipality of Fleurance is shaken. Mayor Grégory Bobbato emphasised the urgent need to improve safety measures for children and to take victims seriously at an early stage. He advocated reforming protection mechanisms to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
Lyhanna’s family remains in deep mourning and demands firm justice for the girl. They hope that the ongoing investigations will shed light on the events and assign full responsibility to those responsible.
The Lyhanna case has triggered a broad public debate about the protection of minors and the handling of repeat offenders in the justice system. Specialists and representatives of children’s rights organisations are calling for psychological support and better coordination between criminal prosecution and social services in order to protect vulnerable children at an early stage.
The investigations have not yet been concluded. Authorities stress that new findings should contribute not only to clarifying the circumstances of Lyhanna’s tragic death, but also to eliminating systemic weaknesses in the protection of minors.
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