Tens of thousands march across France in historic protests against sexual violence
Tens of thousands of people marched across France on Saturday in a historic mobilisation against sexual violence, triggered by the rape and murder of 11-year-old Lyhanna in the southwestern town of Fleurance. Organisers said 100,000 people took part in the Paris march alone, with demonstrations held in about 110 cities nationwide. The protests followed the discovery of Lyhanna’s body in a silo on 5 June, a week after she went missing on 29 May. DNA evidence recovered from the scene linked the child to Jérôme Barella, a 41-year-old man already in police custody after being filmed putting her into his car.
Barella’s history of alleged sexual violence against minors had been documented for years. In 2017, a mother reported his relationship with her then-17-year-old daughter, though she described it as consensual. In 2021, he lost his teaching post after inappropriate messages to a pupil, though they were not explicit. A 2022 complaint of rape against a seven-year-old was dismissed due to lack of evidence. In 2023, a US organisation flagged his suspicious online activity, but French authorities processed fewer than 1% of 318,000 such reports that year. In August 2025, a mother filed a complaint alleging Barella had raped her ten-year-old daughter at least 50 times; despite eight follow-ups, he was never questioned. Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin apologised for what he called a “huge failure,” but refused to resign.
The coalition behind the marches, uniting 180 associations, is demanding a single comprehensive law to address sexual violence from prevention to victim support, rather than piecemeal measures. “We cannot have an underfunded judicial system that protects attackers rather than victims,” said Anne-Cécile Mailfert, president of the Women’s Foundation. “With 94 percent of rape complaints being dismissed without further action, many attackers face no consequences.” Protesters in Paris chanted slogans such as “Truth emerges from the mouths of children!” and “160,000 children, what are you doing?”
Eline, a 17-year-old high school student who joined the march, described how a police officer dismissed her own rape complaint this year. “He told me it wasn’t rape, that it could ruin the man’s life, and made me feel guilty for what I said,” she recounted. “This has to change.” The demonstrations come amid broader public anger over systemic failures in protecting children. Right-wing politicians have proposed populist solutions, including a “disciplinary court” for judges and “chemical castration” for sex offenders, though such measures already exist or face legal hurdles.
The case has reignited national debate over judicial accountability and the treatment of sexual violence complaints. A disciplinary body, the Conseil supérieur de la magistrature, has sanctioned judges since 2010, contrary to claims of blanket impunity. Meanwhile, the heatwave sweeping Europe has claimed 3,700 lives, with France recording 2,025 excess deaths, underscoring the strain on public services. Yet Saturday’s marches signal a society demanding urgent reform, not just mourning.
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