After the detention of brother of Jérôme BarellaNow, the criminal record of the father of the main suspect in the Lyhanna case has resurfaced. The man, now in his seventies, was the subject of a rape complaint filed in 2013 by one of his granddaughters. The alleged acts were committed between 2010 and 2013, when the child was between 10 and 13 years old. The case was dismissed in 2021 after an eight-year investigation.
A complaint of rape against a granddaughter
The complaint concerned alleged acts committed at the grandfather's home. The complainant, a minor at the time, reported several instances of rape. She was not Jérôme Barella's daughter, but another granddaughter of the septuagenarian. The case was investigated for several years. Jérôme Barella's father was never formally charged. He was granted the status of assisted witness, an intermediate status that allows an accused person to access the case file and defend themselves without being formally prosecuted.
Eight years of investigation, then a final dismissal of the case
In 2021, the court issued a dismissal order. The complainant's family initially appealed this decision before withdrawing their appeal. The dismissal is therefore final. At this stage, the case is not expected to be reopened. Only new evidence could justify restarting the investigation.
Another complaint was raised in 2018
Another granddaughter of the 70-year-old man reportedly filed a complaint in 2018. The legal outcome of this second complaint is unknown to date. No publicly available information indicates that it resulted in prosecution, charges, or a conviction.
The brother already in police custody
This revelation comes just days after another development involving Jérôme Barella's family. His brother was taken into custody in Auch as part of an investigation opened for the rape of a minor over 15, spousal rape, kidnapping, and repeated death threats by a spouse. The alleged offenses are said to have occurred between 2007 and 2017. They are separate from the investigation into Lyhanna's death.
Jérôme Barella at the heart of the Lyhanna affair
Jérôme Barella is the prime suspect in the investigation into the death of Lyhanna, an 11-year-old schoolgirl who disappeared in Fleurance, Gers. He has been formally charged and placed in pretrial detention. Prior to this case, he had already been the subject of several complaints or reports of a sexual nature, some involving minors. These previous incidents sparked a national controversy regarding the judicial handling of alerts and complaints against the suspect.
The Lyhanna case continues to shake the justice system
The succession of complaints, reports, and legal proceedings surrounding the main suspect and some members of his circle now raises a central question: how could so many warnings have gone unanswered by the justice system before Lyhanna's death? The case now extends beyond the purely criminal realm. It calls into question the handling of complaints, the protection of minors, and the capacity of the justice system to expedite the processing of sexual violence allegations.
