Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin sent a letter to his counterpart at the Interior Ministry, Laurent Nuñez, detailing serious shortcomings in investigations into sexual violence against children. This twelve-page document, sent on July 29, reports cases that were not referred to the courts, were abandoned, or were sometimes lost.
One of the main shortcomings concerns the existence of a large "phantom backlog," consisting of files kept by the police or gendarmerie without having been reported to the public prosecutor's office. Prosecutors have reportedly discovered 1,275 unknown cases in Nîmes and 905 in Caen. In Bourges, about fifteen files are said to have been lost.
More than 85,000 complaints are awaiting processing.
The letter also highlights staff shortages and what is sometimes considered insufficient professional commitment, including within certain specialized units. The Ministry of the Interior regrets the disclosure of this working document and states that its departments are currently examining the findings in order to develop solutions.
These revelations come after the Lyhanna case, named after an 11-year-old schoolgirl found dead in the Gers region. Her main suspect has been charged with murder and rape of a minor under 15. Following this tragedy, Gérald Darmanin revealed that 85,047 complaints of sexual violence against minors were still being processed.
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