Jérôme Barella He is due to appear before the investigating judge in the Lyhanna case this Wednesday. According to BFMTV, the main suspect was taken from his cell at the Mont-de-Marsan prison to be brought before the magistrate in Agen. This hearing could lead to his being formally charged with the rape and murder of the 11-year-old schoolgirl.
The suspect had not yet been questioned by the judge about the evidence discovered after Lyhanna's death. His last court appearance was on June 1st, a few days before the child's body was found in an agricultural silo near Puycasquier, in the Gers region.
He has so far been prosecuted for kidnapping and unlawful confinement.
Jérôme Barella, also accused of violence by his wifeHe was arrested the day after Lyhanna's disappearance, which was reported on May 29 in Fleurance. Following his detention, he was formally charged with " kidnapping " et "Sequestration of a minor under 15 years of age"He was then placed in pretrial detention. At that time, the schoolgirl's body had not yet been discovered and the results of the forensic examinations were not yet known. Therefore, the charges of rape and murder were not included in his initial indictment.
The judge must now question him about his possible involvement in the sexual violence suffered by Lyhanna and in her death. The magistrate will then have to decide whether there is serious or consistent evidence justifying the expansion of the charges.
The autopsy revealed rape, injuries, and contusions.
The autopsy concluded that Lyhanna had been raped. Injuries and several contusions were also found on her body. However, the exact cause of her death could not yet be definitively determined at the time these initial findings were released.
On June 24, the public prosecutor of Agen issued a supplementary indictment so that the investigation would also cover the qualifications of "Murder of a minor under fifteen years of age, preceded or accompanied by rape" and "Rape of a minor under fifteen years of age by violence, coercion, threat or surprise"These new criminal charges expose Jérôme Barella to life imprisonment. His criminal responsibility will have to be determined by the investigation and then, if the case is referred to trial, by a court of law.
A search was carried out at his home on July 6th
On July 6, investigators searched the home of Jérôme Barella in Montestruc-sur-Gers. The suspect was brought from prison to be present during the operation. Various items potentially linked to Lyhanna's death were seized. Their nature was not specified. They will be analyzed and compared with other physical evidence collected since the schoolgirl's disappearance. This search was conducted more than a month after the body was discovered. The results of the examinations performed on the seized items may be added to the case file.
Placed in isolation and subject to increased surveillance
Jérôme Barella is incarcerated at the Mont-de-Marsan penitentiary. He has been placed in solitary confinement and is under heightened surveillance due to a suicide risk. Rounds are conducted every thirty minutes to monitor his condition. He remains in pretrial detention following his initial indictment.
