Some 88,000 complaints regarding sexual violence against children are being re-examined by investigative services – a figure higher than the 70,000 initially ordered by Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin last month. This comes in the wake of the murder of 11-year-old Lyhanna, whose death prompted public outrage over the state's mishandling of child abuse cases.
"We went from 70,000 to 88,000 complaints involving children" recorded by investigative services, of which "7,452 concern crimes (...) where the alleged perpetrator is known," Darmanin told French daily Le Monde, in an interview published on Tuesday.
He admitted that while there has been "an extremely important awakening across the entire criminal justice chain" regarding violence against women, this has "not entirely" been the case for children.
Darmanin last month ordered 70,000 cases involving sexual violence against children to be reviewed by 14 July.
This following the discovery of 11-year-old Lyhanna's body in the Gers department on 4 June which sparked public anger over the justice system's handling of the case.
The suspect, Jérôme Barella – a 41-year-old father of a school friend of the victim – had twice before been formally accused of raping a child, most recently in August last year, but investigations had been dropped or had stalled.
Darmanin is facing a legal complaint – for "failure to assist a person in danger" – filed by the mother of young Rosa, another alleged victim of the prime suspect in Lyhanna's murder. Rosa has accused him of committing "around fifty" rapes.
Darmanin is also facing anger from the main Magistrates Union (USM) – which represents 60 percent of the profession. They accusing Darmanin of making them scapegoats and failing to provide the resources needed for effective action.
Darmanin has brushed aside calls for his resignation and downplayed the crisis with the magistrates, noting that "this is not the first time there has been discord" between a minister and the unions.
He pointed out that trust between magistrates and citizens is, "unfortunately, increasingly lacking."
Individual errors
While acknowledging that his ministry suffers from a "structural lack of resources," he said that "there are also individual errors, as shown by the inspection" into the failures to monitor the alleged killer of Lyhanna a man who was never questioned or even summoned, despite being the subject of multiple complaints regarding the rape of minors.
As part of his global response to the situation, Darmanin ordered an independent inquiry, which was presented to Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu on 22 June, underlining the broad failures in the handling of the suspect.
Meanwhile, as of Tuesday, Darmanin will begin defending his criminal justice bill in the National Assembly, following the text's rejection by a committee.
He has already promised to remove the flagship measure which allows for guilty pleas for serious crimes.
Aimed notably at easing court backlogs, the bill has faced strong opposition from lawyers.
According to Darmanin, the bill plans to "expand departmental criminal courts – whose primary role is trying rape cases" – by establishing sixty such bodies across France.
Lyhanna's death continues to fuel a wave of demonstrations calling for stronger protection for victims of sexual and gender-based violence, and the government is under pressure to respond.
Thousands of demonstrators have been gathering every Monday evening outside the justice ministry and in cities across France, demanding stronger protections for children and a more comprehensive approach to investigations into allegations.
An estimated 160,000 children suffer rape or sexual assault each year in France, most by a man within their family or acquaintances, according to an independent commission Ciivise.
Only seven percent of complaints for sexual assault of a minor result in a conviction, the agency said.
(with newswires)
