Lyhanna case: inspections denounce "individual errors" in the handling of the complaint

The reports from the general inspectorates of justice and the gendarmerie on the Lyhanna case, which are due to be made public this Monday, June 22, point to serious "dysfunctions" and "individual errors" in the handling of a complaint for rape of a minor against Jérôme Barella, the main suspect in the murder of the 11-year-old girl.

Filed in August 2025 by Rosa's mother, when she was 11 years old, this complaint did not lead to the suspect being questioned or taken into custody. According to initial reports from several media outlets, the case suffered numerous delays, misdirections, and prioritization failures between the courts in Toulouse and Auch.

A failing decision-making chain

The inspections, at this stage, rule out the theory of a lack of resources and favor the theory of human failings at several levels of the judicial and police system. The report notably emphasizes that no substantial investigative action was taken before Lyhanna's disappearance, despite the seriousness of the reported incidents.

Jérôme Barella, already the subject of a previous complaint dismissed in 2022 and several other reports, was only implicated after Lyhanna's abduction and death. The autopsy concluded that the child had been raped, and traces of the suspect's DNA were found on her body.

In response to the public outcry over this case, Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin promised administrative sanctions. Individual investigations could be opened as early as this week, while a nationwide review of ongoing cases of violence against minors has been ordered across all French jurisdictions.