Gérald Darmanin spoke on Monday after the dysfunctions revealed in the Lyhanna case. The Minister of Justice denounced "extremely serious deficiencies" and announced that it had instructed prosecutors to identify sensitive cases involving minors.
He requested that a census be carried out by July 14th. This census must cover all complaints in the prosecutor's offices for which an investigation has been opened, but which have not resulted in a judicial inquiry, a dismissal, or the hearing of the person concerned.
Files of minors placed as priority
Gérald Darmanin asked prosecutors to focus primarily on cases involving minors. He described the situation as"absolute emergency"According to him, approximately 70,000 complaints in France concern offenses involving minors. The minister stated that these cases must be examined with particular attention, especially when they involve serious offenses against children.
"Are there other Lyhanna cases in France?"
The minister publicly raised the question of possible cases similar to Lyhanna's. "Are there other Lyhanna cases in France? It's a legitimate question to ask."he said. He also mentioned a "A terrible failure of government action" and asked for a "General mobilization" to establish what went wrong in this case.
Darmanin refuses to resign
When questioned about his responsibility, Gérald Darmanin indicated that he would not resign. "I did not resign because this failure is not my responsibility.""He told the press. However, he acknowledged the need to tell the truth to the French people and to Parliament when the State has failed to protect children. He cited flawed systems, excessive delays, and the possible non-implementation of directives."
An inspection to determine the extent of the malfunctions
The minister explained that the inspection will have to determine whether the Lyhanna case stems from an isolated failure or a more systemic problem within the courts of appeal and prosecutors' offices. He expressed his confidence in the magistrates who work under difficult conditions, particularly when facing death threats. He affirmed that priority must be given to complaints of rape of a minor.
"It's not a question of resources."
Gérald Darmanin also stated that, in the Lyhanna case, the problem did not stem from a lack of resources. He noted that the Auch prosecutor's office had received additional resources last September. According to him, the difficulties lie more in the slowness of the process and the lack of prioritization of decisions in this specific case.
