Review of abuse cases: 675 people detained since June

Paris – 16.07.2026: After nearly six weeks of a special review procedure concerning cases of sexual violence against minors, the French judiciary has issued its first serious interim assessment. According to Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin, 675 people have been detained since the beginning of June. At the same time, prosecutors’ offices across the country also identified around 15,000 reports that had previously not been included in the initial count.

The case of 11-year-old Lyhanna triggered this nationwide review. After her death at the end of May, questions were raised about how police and judicial authorities had handled earlier leads concerning a suspect. The responsible oversight body described shortcomings in the handling of the case at the time in a preliminary report. A final assessment of individual responsibility is still pending.

On June 7, Darmanin instructed 36 prosecutors general to re-examine by July 14 around 70,000 unresolved sexual offence reports and proceedings involving minors that were known at the time. The deadline was not intended to end investigations, but to ensure that particularly urgent cases were identified and dealt with immediately. The 15,000 newly registered reports have now expanded the scope of the review to nearly 85,000 cases.

Behind every figure lies a different procedural status: reports still awaiting investigation, files in which new leads have emerged, or cases whose urgency has been reassessed. Detention neither means conviction nor proves guilt. Depending on the circumstances, it may involve pre-trial detention or the enforcement of a judicial decision. The Justice Ministry did not publish information on individual defendants.

According to media reports, 970 files were classified as particularly high priority. For investigators and prosecutors, the foremost task is to quickly assess possible risks to children, secure evidence and protect victims. The review also reveals how difficult it is to handle cases that often involve complex statements, expert opinions and digital traces under immense time pressure.

The Lyhanna case has reignited discussion about staffing levels, workflows and cooperation between the police, gendarmerie and judicial authorities. As early as June, the Senate launched an information-gathering mission on the management of criminal prosecutions and possible failures. The official preliminary report on the case also noted that the number of sexual violence cases involving minors remains high in the Toulouse jurisdiction.

The figures published today are therefore more than just an interim assessment. They show that the ordered review is not only sorting through old files, but is also bringing previously unrecorded cases to light. Whether this can lead in the long term to faster and more reliable procedures remains to be tested through subsequent investigations, judicial decisions and the announced judicial reform measures.