Lyhanna case: judges and lawyers denounce a structural problem of resources

The death of 11-year-old Lyhanna, found in an abandoned silo in the Gers region after several days of searching, has brought tensions surrounding the functioning of the French justice system to a head. Several complaints against the main suspect had gone unanswered, leading Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin to acknowledge systemic failures and convene a meeting of the public prosecutors general on Monday morning. But for legal professionals, the problem extends far beyond the case of a single prosecutor or prosecutor's office.

A chronic lack of resources has been highlighted.

Marie-Suzanne Le Quéau, the public prosecutor at the Paris Court of Appeal, appearing on BFMTV and RMC on Thursday, reiterated a long-standing reality: the judiciary suffers from a chronic lack of resources. This analysis is shared by lawyer Chantal Corbier, who warns against the temptation to individually sanction a prosecutor to mask a systemic dysfunction. The two main magistrates' unions concur and call for structural solutions rather than targeted sanctions.

The judicial handling of sexual violence against minors is at the heart of the questions raised by this case. Unions insist on the need to provide the justice system with resources commensurate with the challenges to prevent such a tragedy from recurring. The issue now goes beyond simply acknowledging isolated failures: the entire judicial system is called upon to reform in the face of the sheer volume of child protection cases.