Hundreds have attended the funeral of murdered 12-year-old Lola in her mother's northern French hometown of Lillers.
"Lola, my adorable little sister, I hope you can hear me in Heaven. Sadly, you left us too soon. I never had a chance to say how much I loved you. I hope I was there for you when you needed help. We're going to miss you." So spoke Lola's brother Thibault, through his tears at the funeral service in the church of Saint Omer..
The dead girl's parents had said the funeral ceremony would be open to all, but they requested privacy at the graveside.
They asked those who wished to attend the church service to respect their daughter's memory by ensuring that the funeral would be serene and dignified, free of any political or media agitation.
Lola's murder shocked France and sparked a bitter political controversy when right-wing and far-right critics accused the Macron government of not doing enough to prevent illegal migration.
An Algerian woman already targeted by an expulsion order has been charged with the killing. The suspect has a history of psychiatric disorders, and may not be deemed fit to stand trial.
Lola's white coffin was carried into the church of Saint Omer, followed by her parents, brothers and a crowd of anonymous friends and sympathisers.
Politicians, but no grandstanding
Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, Charlotte Caubel, Junior Minister for Children, and the local MP, Caroline Parmentier, were among those present in the church.
The funeral mass was celebrated by the Bishop of Arras, Mgr Olivier Leborgne, and was relayed by loudspeakers to those unable to find a place inside the church.
"Lola died not only too soon," the bishop told the congregation, "but in deplorable circumstances."
Her lifeless body was found in a suitcase in the courtyard of the Paris block in which she lived with her family. She had been sexually abused and died of asphyxiation.
President Emmanuel Macron described the crime as "atrocious".
Political divisions on security
The profile of the suspect, an Algerian woman named only as Dahbia B. who was the subject of an expulsion order, has prompted stinging criticism from the political right.
Eric Ciotti, MP from the right-wing Republicans party, accused the government of "criminal ... laxism" over migration, while extreme-right figure Eric Zemmour described Lola's killing as "Francocide".
The suspect had overstayed a student visa and had failed to comply with a notice issued in August to leave France within 30 days.
On Monday, the 24-year-old was charged with the rape and murder of a minor aged under 15, along with torture and abuse.
The woman confessed that she had "committed harm of a sexual nature and other violent acts against (Lola) that caused her death, and hid her body in the trunk", prosecutors said.
According to the autopsy, the young girl died due to "cardio-respiratory failure with signs of asphyxia and cervical compression".
The investigation will now focus on whether the suspect was suffering from a psychiatric disorder at the time of the killing and if she should face criminal responsibility for the murder.
