The main suspect in Lyhanna's death was brought before an investigating judge in Agen on Wednesday, July 15. Already charged with kidnapping and false imprisonment, the 41-year-old man now faces charges of the rape and murder of the 11-year-old schoolgirl whose body was found in an agricultural silo in the Gers region.
A new indictment after a lengthy hearing
Jérôme Barella was formally charged with the rape and murder of Lyhanna following his questioning by an investigating judge. Taken from his cell at the Mont-de-Marsan prison, he was brought to the Agen courthouse Wednesday morning under heavy police escort. His hearing began around 9:30 a.m., was interrupted at midday, and resumed in the afternoon. The convoy transporting the suspect left the courthouse at the end of the day. This court appearance was the first since the discovery of Lyhanna's body and the receipt of the various forensic reports.
The investigating judge formally notified him of the charges of murder of a minor under 15 years of age, preceded or accompanied by rape, as well as rape of a minor under 15 years of age by violence, coercion, threat, or surprise. These new charges are in addition to his initial indictment for kidnapping and unlawful confinement.
The autopsy established that Lyhanna had been raped.
Jérôme Barella was initially formally charged on June 1st, a few days after the schoolgirl's disappearance. At that time, the child's body had not yet been found, and investigators did not have the results of the forensic examinations. The suspect then exercised his right to remain silent before the magistrate. The autopsy results, released on June 24th, established that Lyhanna had been raped. However, the examinations did not definitively determine the precise cause of her death. Following these findings, the prosecutor in Agen requested that the charges be broadened through a supplementary indictment. The investigating judge has now officially upheld these new charges. Jérôme Barella faces life imprisonment. His formal charge does not constitute a declaration of guilt. He remains presumed innocent until a final judgment is rendered.
Lyhanna had disappeared after leaving her school
The investigation began on Friday, May 29, when Lyhanna's parents reported her missing. The 11-year-old middle school student had left her school in Fleurance, Gers, before being seen in Jérôme Barella's car. Quickly identified thanks to the investigation and CCTV footage, the man was arrested the very next day. During his police custody, he claimed to have driven the child near the Fleurance municipal swimming pool before returning home. His statements were considered imprecise and undermined by the evidence gathered during the investigation. Brought before a judge on June 1, Jérôme Barella was formally charged with kidnapping and unlawful confinement of a minor under 15 years of age, and then placed in pretrial detention.
The body was discovered in a disused agricultural silo.
After several days of searching, Lyhanna's body was found on June 4th in an abandoned agricultural silo in Puycasquier, Gers. Jérôme Barella had worked at the site in the past. The discovery of the body led to further scientific and technical investigations. Investigators collected samples, examined the scene, and conducted various analyses aimed at reconstructing the child's movements and the circumstances of her death.
A search was carried out at the suspect's home.
On July 6, officers from the Toulouse research section of the Gendarmerie also searched Jérôme Barella's home in Montestruc-sur-Gers. The suspect was brought from prison to the scene during the operation. The investigations carried out at the house aimed in particular to search for new physical evidence and to verify the information gathered since the discovery of the body. The results of the expert analyses, technical examinations, and the search were presented to the suspect during his interrogation on July 15.
Jérôme Barella remains in solitary confinement
Following his new indictment, Jérôme Barella remains in pretrial detention. He is incarcerated at the Mont-de-Marsan penitentiary, where he has been held in solitary confinement since the beginning of June. The investigation must now continue in order to clarify the exact circumstances of Lyhanna's death, to compare the results of the various expert analyses, and to determine the sequence of events between leaving school and the discovery of the body. The magistrates will be able to question the suspect again, organize confrontations, and order further investigations.
