Tens of thousands of French people took to the streets on Saturday, in demonstrations against sexual violence, driven by a wave of national anger sparked by the shocking details of the murder of the little girl, “Lihana.” The crime that began with the disappearance of the girl on May 29, in the southwest of the country, has turned into a public opinion issue and an attack on the judicial system. After it became clear that the suspect (41 years old) was at large despite previous official charges being brought against him of child rape, investigations that were dropped or frozen before he committed the latest tragedy.

Published on: 04/07/2026 - 21:46 Last updated: 05/07/2026 - 12:17

On Saturday, several French citizens witnessed demonstrations protesting against sexual violence and criticizing the mechanisms for dealing with the accused, in which tens of thousands of people participated due to the anger sparked by the rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl.

The body of the girl, Lianha, was found last month after she disappeared on May 29 in the town of Florence, southwest of the country.

The suspect, a 41-year-old father of one of the victim's school friends, had previously been formally charged with two counts of rape of a child, but the investigations were dropped or stopped.

This crime sparked widespread anger and calls for the resignation of Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin, who refused to resign but apologized for what he described as a "miserable failure."

Read also: France is in shock after the killing of the child Lihana...a crime that reveals “judicial breaches” and prompts a review of 70,000 complaints

Protesters marched Saturday in Paris chanting slogans such as “The truth comes out of the mouths of children!” And “160 thousand children, what are you doing?”

Organizers said that 100,000 people participated in the Paris march.

Student Elaine (17 years old), participating in the march, revealed that she filed a rape report this year.

She said: “The police officer told me that this was not rape, and that this could ruin this man’s life, and he made me feel guilty and doubted my words.”

"We cannot accept an underfunded justice system that protects aggressors instead of victims," ​​said Anne-Cécile Melfer, president of the Fondation des Femmes, ahead of the demonstration.

With 94 percent of rape reports being dismissed without any action being taken, there are many assailants who are reported to the courts without facing any punishment.”

Read also: France: Forensic medicine confirms that the body found belongs to the child Lihana, whose disappearance shook the country

Marches were organized in about 110 cities, including Dijon in the east and Toulouse in the south.

The organizers, which include 180 associations, are calling for a comprehensive law instead of “fragmented procedures and laws” to combat sexual violence at all levels, from prevention to supporting victims.

Since Lehana's case, the coalition of associations has been organizing weekly protests in front of the regional courts in the Gers region, where she was found murdered, and in front of the Ministry of Justice in Paris.

President Emmanuel Macron expressed his fear of a decline in confidence in French institutions due to failures to investigate the main suspect in the Lehana case.

France 24/AFP

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