How many more Lyhannas must there be before France takes child sexual assault seriously? | Rokhaya Diallo

The outrage following the 11-year-old girl’s killing is justified. But the case reveals a deeper systemic neglect of child protection When the body of an 11-year-old girl was found in a disused grain silo on a farm in the Gers region of south-west France last month, the news sent shockwaves across the country. Lyhanna had been missing for nearly a week. Members of the public had been out combing the area. Suspicion quickly focused on Jérôme Barella, the 41-year-old father of one of Lyhanna’s ...

By Rokhaya Diallo