Fleurance – 09.06.2026: On Monday evening, several thousand people gathered in over 160 cities across France to protest against child abuse and the shortcomings of the justice system. These nationwide demonstrations were sparked by the tragic death of eleven-year-old Lyhanna, who disappeared on May 29 in Fleurance, in the département of Gers. Her body was found on June 4 in a grain silo near Fleurance.
The main suspect, Jérôme Barella, a 41-year-old man who had previously been reported multiple times for sexual abuse of children, denies the allegations. Despite the prior reports, he was only arrested after Lyhanna’s death. This delay in prosecution has caused nationwide outrage and raised questions about the effectiveness of the justice system.
In Fleurance itself, about 6,000 people participated in a silent memorial demonstration. The attendees wore white clothing and held signs with inscriptions such as “Never again!” and “We love you. We miss you.” Lyhanna’s parents led the procession, while her mother asked for forgiveness in an emotional letter: “Please forgive me for what you went through.”
In other cities like Auch, Besançon, Belfort, Vesoul, and Pontarlier, hundreds gathered in front of courthouses to protest structural deficiencies in handling sexual abuse cases involving children. The feminist trade union association of Doubs criticized the high rates of dismissal of rape reports and called for the swift adoption of comprehensive legislation to better protect children.
In Paris, demonstrators gathered in front of the Ministry of Justice, demanding a fundamental reform of the justice system. They carried banners with slogans such as “Justice, wake up” and “Never again something like this.” The protests were supported by various organizations and personalities, including director Andréa Bescond, herself a victim of sexual violence, who had called for demonstrations in Montauban and Castelsarrasin.
The French government responded to the protests. President Emmanuel Macron and Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin acknowledged systemic failures in handling previous reports against Barella and apologized to Lyhanna’s family. Darmanin announced plans to consider reforms to prevent such oversights in the future. In particular, prosecution processes in child abuse cases are to be accelerated and victims better protected.
The demonstrations reflect broad societal outrage and underscore the urgent desire for a functioning justice system that better protects children. Numerous citizens appeal to politics and justice to learn lessons from this case so that a similar tragedy does not happen again.