Funeral of 11-year-old Lyhanna brings Fleurance to a standstill as France confronts its failure to stop a known sex offender
Around 200 mourners gathered in Fleurance on Friday for the public funeral of Lyhanna, an 11-year-old girl whose murder has ignited a national reckoning over the handling of sexual violence complaints against minors.
The funeral ceremony
Around 200 people attended the public part of the service at the Fleurance cemetery on Friday afternoon. The mayor, Grégory Bobbato, opened the tributes.
We are not saying goodbye to a symbol, a struggle, but to a child of 11 and a half: Lyhanna.
A ceremony mistress, speaking on behalf of the family, described Lyhanna as having a "luminous, gentle and benevolent soul" and recalled her "disarming frankness that made people smile". The family then released white balloons and five doves. The burial itself took place in private, at the family's request, away from cameras after days of intense media coverage.
The disappearance and discovery
Lyhanna was last seen on 29 May near the Collège Hubert-Reeves, where she was filmed getting into the car of the main suspect, Jérôme Barella. Her body was found on 4 June in a grain silo in Fleurance, a commune of 6,000 inhabitants in the Gers. Barella was charged with kidnapping and sequestration and is held at the Mont-de-Marsan prison.
- Lyhanna last seen near her school, getting into suspect Jérôme Barella's car.
- Lyhanna's body found in a grain silo in Fleurance.
- A white march draws around 6,000 participants in Fleurance.
- Funeral ceremony held at Fleurance cemetery; public service followed by private burial.
A justice system under fire
Barella had been the subject of seven prior reports of sexual violence, none of which led to any action. That failure has drawn sharp condemnation abroad.
Seven reports of sexual violence, with no repercussions.
Swiss daily Le Temps called Lyhanna "the standard-bearer for all the victims the French state does not listen to". The case has drawn comparisons to the Dutroux affair in Belgium.
Government response
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced a "global law against sexual and sexist violence". Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin apologised to the family and ordered prosecutors to review 70,000 pending complaints of rape and sexual assault on minors by 14 July. In 2021, President Emmanuel Macron had promised victims they would "never again be alone", yet only around half of the 82 recommendations of the independent commission on incest and child sexual violence (Ciivise) have led to parliamentary work, according to Die Zeit.
A community in mourning
On Sunday, 7 June, a white march drew roughly 6,000 people, equal to the town's entire population. Many wore T-shirts bearing Lyhanna's image. Local journalist Clotilde Jupon said the story dominated conversations in cafés, supermarkets and on television.
A lesson in the face of their absolute dignity when confronting the worst: losing a child.
The mayor praised the parents, Charly and Martial, for their dignity and for constantly bringing everyone back to what is essential.
