Rape of Minors: “The Justice System Has Forgotten My Report”

Paris – 10.06.2026: Léa is now 17 years old, but her traumatic past haunts her daily. Already in 2020, when she was only 11, she filed a complaint for rape. Six years later, the alleged perpetrator still has not been questioned and lives only 300 meters from her home. “The justice system has forgotten my report,” Léa says with a trembling voice. This statement represents many victims of sexual violence in France who are waiting for justice.

Léa’s case is unfortunately not an isolated incident. In France, thousands of reports of sexual violence against minors are filed every year, but the duration of proceedings is often extremely long, and many investigations end without charges being filed. In 2016, more than 33,000 people were investigated in cases of rape, sexual coercion, or harassment of minors, but over 70 percent of these proceedings were dropped without any judicial consequences.

The causes of the delays are manifold: on the one hand, authorities lack sufficient personnel and financial resources. On the other hand, structural problems in the justice system hinder swift processing. These deficits became apparent most recently in the case of the murdered eleven-year-old Lyhanna. The girl’s body was found in June 2026, and the alleged perpetrator had previously been reported multiple times for sexual assaults on minors, without any progress in the investigations.

For Léa, the standstill of the justice system is a great burden. “I can no longer sleep peacefully when I know that he lives just a few meters away and nothing is happening,” she reports. Her family has repeatedly inquired with the police about the status of the investigation, but the answers have been evasive. This uncertainty weighs heavily on Léa psychologically and makes daily life difficult for her.

Another aspect is the statute of limitations: in France, the periods for prosecuting crimes against minors begin only upon reaching the age of majority. This means that in a case like Léa’s, the limitation period starts only on her 18th birthday. For rape, this period is 30 years, which means she can theoretically initiate legal action until she is 48 years old.

However, despite the long limitation periods, the question remains whether the justice system is capable of handling such cases within a reasonable timeframe. The experiences of Léa and other victims cast doubt on the trust in the French justice system. Reforms and better funding of the responsible agencies are necessary to make such proceedings more efficient.

Until then, Léa has no choice but to hope for justice and that her complaint does not become permanently forgotten. Her story highlights the urgent need for action to strengthen the rights and protection of victims of sexual violence in France.