France: judicial scandal following 11-year-old's murder
The rape and murder of 11-year-old Lyhanna has sparked a wave of outrage in France. Despite the fact that her alleged killer had been reported to the police on several occasions in the past, the judicial authorities failed to take action. Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin is now rushing to have 70,000 cases of sexual violence against minors reviewed.
Police and judiciary need new mindset
The case reveals systemic failures in the way the justice system deals with sexual violence, Le Temps writes:
“This case is so significant because it highlights the failure to take rape allegations seriously. ... This is why the protests of recent days have seen figures emerging whose commitment extends far beyond the fight against child sexual abuse. ... It's another reason why the Lyhanna case has sparked such intense anger and emotional distress across the entire population. ... But the most important lesson to be learnt is this: the judiciary and the police must change the way they respond to the warning signs that are brought to their attention. Society demands this.”
A system that silences victims
El País criticises:
“Although French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin admits that the state let Lyhanna down, he attributes the tragedy to individual errors within the chain of command. An explanation that is belied as much by the images of hundreds of cases of child sexual abuse piling up in the courts as by reports highlighting systemic failures and a lack of resources that the authorities have ignored. ... The minister's announcement that the 70,000 ongoing cases involving minors will be fully reviewed by 14 July speaks volumes about the state of the French justice system. ... Above all, however, it reveals the workings of a system that seems designed to silence the victims.”
Macron detached from the people
Libération takes issue with the French President's distance:
“Macron's only audible reaction to Lyhanna's death over the weekend was to declare that he didn't want to hear anything about a lack of 'resources'. His initial approach to the tragedy that has shaken the country was thus a budgetary one. That is not to say that the question of funding for the justice system should not be raised. ... Of course it must be addressed, but these few words from the president betray a detachment from the country. ... They reveal a distance vis-à-vis the mood of the nation in the wake of such a shock. ... With this response Macron has thereby helped to fuel this escalating political crisis.”