Justice system reviews 85,047 reports of sexual violence against minors

Paris – 15/07/2026: France’s justice system has identified 85,047 reports and proceedings involving sexual violence against minors nationwide, according to Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin. Nearly 1,000 cases have been identified as particularly high priority, the minister said during government questions in the National Assembly. The review is intended to ensure that especially serious reports, or those left unaddressed for long periods, are promptly examined under criminal law.

According to figures cited by the minister, 69,626 criminal cases known to public prosecutors’ offices have been re-examined since June 8. At the same time, investigative services reportedly found more than 15,000 additional reports. The difference between the initially known files and the new total highlights the difficulty of fully recording proceedings across the police, gendarmerie, public prosecutors’ offices and courts, and of ranking them according to their level of risk.

The process is linked to the Lyhanna case in the Gers department. Following the child’s disappearance and death, it emerged that a suspect had previously faced allegations of sexual violence against minors. In response, Darmanin instructed prosecutors general in early June to review by mid-July all still-pending or not conclusively processed reports involving minors.

The figure now presented is higher than the approximately 70,000 files mentioned at the start of the review. It does not describe the number of proven crimes or convicted perpetrators, but rather the volume of reports and proceedings found by judicial and investigative authorities. Its political significance therefore lies primarily in whether law enforcement authorities can identify risks to children earlier, define responsibilities more clearly and conduct investigations without avoidable delays.

Particular attention is to be given to files classified as priorities. Based on the logic of the directive, these are likely to include proceedings involving an ongoing risk to minors, specific suspicions against known individuals or significant investigative shortcomings. In his statement, the minister provided no further details on individual cases, their legal classification or possible next steps.

The review also increases pressure on a justice system whose processing capacity has been burdened for years by a high number of complex violent-crime cases. The renewed examination can have a lasting impact only if it leads to concrete investigative measures, improved cooperation among the bodies involved and reliable information for those affected. For the government, implementation will therefore become a benchmark for its announced stronger child-protection policy.