After the Lyhanna case: How case files on violence against minors are being reviewed in Boulogne-sur-Mer

Boulogne-sur-Mer – 12.07.2026: At the courthouse in Boulogne-sur-Mer, the reconstruction work does not begin with a major hearing, but with files, phone calls and a question that cannot be postponed: could a child currently be in danger? France Télévisions followed a prosecutor during the review of ongoing proceedings concerning alleged violence against minors. The details of the individual files were not made public.

The case of Lyhanna, an eleven-year-old from Fleurance in the Gers department, had raised questions across the country about the handling of previous reports and complaints. The French Ministry of Justice stated that a man against whom three proceedings for sexual offences had previously been opened was remanded in custody on 1 June on charges of kidnapping and unlawful detention of a minor under the age of 15. Lyhanna was found dead on 4 June.

Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin ordered prosecutors’ offices on 8 June to give priority treatment to proceedings concerning sexual offences against children. Police and gendarmerie must inform public prosecutors without delay of complaints and reports received. The latter must then be able to decide quickly which investigations and protective measures are necessary. Particular attention is being paid to proceedings in which the alleged victims are still minors.

By 14 July, prosecutors’ offices must submit an inventory of the ongoing proceedings already registered to the ministry. At the end of June, 88,000 reports of sexual violence against children were said to have been reviewed again. However, this figure does not describe homogeneous cases and does not replace the examination of each individual situation. Above all, it shows the scale of a task that requires prosecutors’ offices to combine legal precision with swift decisions.

The scene in Boulogne-sur-Mer makes visible the gap between a directive from Paris and everyday reality on the ground. Each file must be read to determine whether investigations still need to be carried out, whether certain clues were overlooked and whether there is a new urgency. Prosecutors do not decide on guilt or innocence. They coordinate investigations, assess risks and, if necessary, order immediate action.

At the same time, a joint mission of the justice, gendarmerie and education inspectorates is examining the procedures in the Lyhanna case. The preliminary report published on 22 June is intended to clarify in particular how a complaint filed in August 2025 was handled and whether there were any omissions. The investigation concerns procedures and responsibilities; personal responsibility has therefore not yet been definitively established.

For the staff at the Boulogne-sur-Mer court, the instruction remains concrete: no case should be lost from sight merely because of its age. The 14 July deadline is therefore more than an administrative deadline. It is intended to make ongoing proceedings visible and identify where investigations, victim protection or decisions need to be accelerated.