Murder of Lola Daviet

Murder of Lola Daviet
Rue Manin, the street where the murder occurred, in the 19th arrondissement of Paris
Location48°53′1.91″N 2°23′22.2″E / 48.8838639°N 2.389500°E / 48.8838639; 2.389500
19th arrondissement, Paris, France
Date14 October 2022 (2022-10-14)
Attack type
Rape; asphyxiation; stabbing; decapitation
WeaponsKnife; duct tape
VictimLola Daviet
PerpetratorDahbia Benkired
ConvictionsMurder of a minor under 15; rape with torture; acts of barbarism

On 14 October 2022, 12-year-old Lola Daviet was found dead in a travel trunk in the 19th arrondissement of Paris, France.[1][2] It was subsequently established that she had been abducted, raped, and murdered, her cause of death being asphyxiation. The perpetrator, Dahbia Benkired, was recorded by a CCTV circuit leaving the building in the afternoon carrying heavy luggage, which included the suitcase holding the victim's body.[3] Benkired, an Algerian national who had been in France illegally, was sentenced to life in prison in 2025 by the Paris cour d'assises. Daviet's father fell into alcoholism and died 16 months after his daughter's murder, at age 49.

Victim

Lola Daviet was born on 18 August 2010[4][5] in Béthune to Johan Daviet and Delphine Daviet-Ropital.[6][7] She was a pupil at the Collège Georges Brassens in Paris and was a champion in aerobics.[8]

Abduction, rape, and murder

On 14 October 2022, at about 16:30 (UTC+1), Johan Daviet, after his daughter failed to return home from school, reported to a police station that Lola Daviet was missing.[9] Lola's mother, Delphine, posted the same day at 18:45 a message on Facebook reporting her daughter's disappearance.[9]

Johan, then, who was the caretaker of the building, consulted the CCTV footage,[10] which showed Lola entering the building at 15:20, and then following a woman, suspected to be Dahbia Benkired, into an apartment.[9][11] According to Benkired's initial confession, she'd lured Lola into the apartment of Benkired's sister, who was also residing in the building, and, there, she ordered the girl to shower. Benkired then raped Lola and forced the girl to perform cunnilingus on her, before putting adhesive tape on Lola's face.[12] As was found in the subsequent autopsy, Lola died from asphyxiation. She was also stabbed multiple times in the body and the neck, and then decapitated. There was also evidence of cervical compression.[13]

Police found duct tape and a box cutter in the apartment building's basement, and started a criminal investigation.[14] At 23:30, a homeless man reported the discovery of a body inside a travel trunk; the body had been mutilated and tied up.[15]

Perpetrator

On 17 October 2022, 24-year-old Dahbia Benkired (Arabic: ذهبية بن كريد)[16] was indicted on charges of "murder of a minor under 15", "rape with torture," and "acts of barbarism".[17][18] Born in Algiers, Algeria, Benkired had come to France legally, in May 2016, on a student visa, which she then overstayed.[18][19] She had no prior criminal record and was known to the police as a victim of domestic violence, committed in 2018.[20] After her indictment, she was held in isolation at Fresnes Prison.[10]

Benkired was unemployed and lived with an acquaintance in Val-de-Marne or with her 26-year-old sister in the same apartment building in Paris as the Daviet family.[21][22] Her sister testified to the investigators that Benkired had been making incoherent statements at night.[20] Lola's mother, caretaker of the apartment where Benkired's sister lived, had rejected Benkired's request for a pass that would enable her to enter the apartment on her own.[23][24]

Benkired, who was not known to psychiatric services, was declared mentally fit to be interviewed by the police.[20] Benkired's lawyer, Alexandre Silva, denied that the murder was racially motivated.[25]

On 21 August 2022, Benkired had been detained at Orly Airport for having neither a plane ticket nor valid identity papers, and was issued an obligation to leave French territory (French: Obligation de quitter le territoire français; OQTF) the same day.[20][19] As she had no criminal record, she was not sent to a detention centre, but given 30 days to return to Algeria.[20]

Investigation

During her interrogation, Benkired fluctuated between accepting and denying responsibility, and claimed that her initial account of committing the crime was actually a recall of a dream. At one point, she blamed the crime on an armed stranger, then on a ghost. When shown pictures of Lola's body, Benkired responded, "This leaves me indifferent. I was raped too and I saw my parents die in front of me". Benkired said that her motive was the dispute with Lola's mother.[13][20]

Trial and sentence

Psychiatric evidence introduced at Benkired's trial stated that she was of normal intelligence and was not suffering from any psychological trouble, displaying no psychiatric pathology. When handing down the sentence, the chief judge ("président de la cour") stressed "the extreme cruelty of the criminal deeds" and the aspect of "real torture", further saying that the court had taken into account the "indescribable" psychological harm done to both the victim and her family (which included her father's death two years after her murder).[26]

At the conclusion of the week-long trial, Dahbia Benkired, before the court began its deliberations, stated: "I ask for forgiveness. What I did is horrible. That's all I have to say." The court, on 24 October 2025, sentenced her to life in prison without parole for raping and murdering Lola Daviet.[27][28] This sentence is known in France as réclusion criminelle à perpétuité incompressible ("irreducible indefinite criminal imprisonment") or perpétuité réelle ("real perpetuity").[29] Benkired is the first woman in France to receive this sentence since it was introduced into French law in 1994, to which only four other criminals have been sentenced (Pierre Bodein, Michel Fourniret, Nicolas Blondiau, and Yannick Luende Bothelo), all of them men.[26]

Reactions

After it was revealed that the suspect had ignored, without repercussions, the order to leave French territory, political figures of the right criticized the government of President Emmanuel Macron for the crime. In the National Assembly, Marine Le Pen of the National Rally (RN) criticized Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne, who responded arguing that the criminal process should be left to the police and judiciary. Éric Zemmour of Reconquête coined the term "Francocide" to denote the murder of a French person, for which he was criticised by Gérald Darmanin, the Minister of the Interior. Éric Pauget of The Republicans told the Ministry of Justice Éric Dupond-Moretti that "Lola lost her life because you didn't expel this national".[10]

French president Emmanuel Macron met Lola's parents on 19 October 2022.[30] He characterized the murder as an act of "extreme evil"[31] while the Minister of the Interior represented the government at the victim's funeral.[32] The family's attorney said the parents have called on politicians to not exploit their daughter's predicament and photographs for political ends.[33]

Devastated by his daughter's fate, Lola's father fell into alcoholism, separated from his wife, lost his job, and died of health complications less than two years before the trial, on 23 February 2024, in Fouquereuil, at the age of 49.[34][35][36]

See also

References

  1. ^ Breeden, Aurelien (19 October 2022). "Schoolgirl's Killing Shocks France and Fuels Right-Wing Fury". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  2. ^ Schofield, Hugh (18 October 2022). "Paris shocked by murder of Lola, 12, found in box". BBC News. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  3. ^ "Woman arrested over killing of girl found in suitcase in Paris". The Guardian. Reuters. 18 October 2022. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  4. ^ Poingt, Guillaume (14 October 2023). "Meurtre de la petite Lola : où en est l'enquête un an après ?" [Murder of Lola : where goes the inquiry after one year?]. Le Figaro (in French). Retrieved 27 November 2025.
  5. ^ "Meurtre de Lola : «Que cette chose soit enfermée toute sa vie»… La détresse de la maman de l'ado, «meurtrie à jamais»" [Lola's murder: «May this thing be locked away for life»… The distress of the teen's mother, «forever scarred»]. 20 Minutes (in French). 22 October 2025. Retrieved 5 November 2025.
  6. ^ Pham-Lê, Jérémie; Courtine, Denis (17 October 2022). "Coup de folie ou vengeance ? Après le meurtre de Lola, le mystère autour du mobile de Dhabia B." [A moment of madness or revenge? After Lola's murder, the mystery surrounding Dhabia B.'s cell phone]. Le Parisien (in French). Retrieved 27 November 2025.
  7. ^ "Procès du meurtre de Lola : après la condamnation de Dahbia Benkired, "le drame restera gravé dans les mémoires de Lillers"" [Trial of Lola's murder : after Dahbia Benkired's conviction, "the tragedy will remain etched in the memories of Lillers"]. France 3 Hauts-de-France (in French). 25 October 2025. Retrieved 27 November 2025.
  8. ^ "La Fédération de gymnastique «choquée» par le meurtre de Lola, championne de France d'aérobic" [The French Gymnastics Federation is «shocked» by the murder of Lola, French aerobics champion]. Ouest-France. Agence France-Presse. 18 October 2022. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
  9. ^ a b c "Le corps de Lola, 12 ans, retrouvé dans une malle: la jeune fille rentrait de l'école; le parquet confirme une mort par asphyxie" [The body of 12-year-old Lola found in a trunk: the young girl was returning from school; the prosecutor's office confirms death by asphyxiation.]. SudInfo (in French). Agence France-Presse. 15 October 2022. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
  10. ^ a b c Kirby, Paul (18 October 2022). "Paris murder: Killing of Lola, 12, sparks immigration row in France". BBC News. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  11. ^ Boisseau, Matthieu; Nathalie, Perez; Cormery, Chloé; Delcourt, Alexis; Bervas, Alain (17 October 2022). "Meurtre de Lola : une jeune femme en garde à vue" [Lola's murder : a young woman in police custody]. France Info (in French). Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  12. ^ Molinie, William (18 October 2022). "Meurtre de Lola : ce que la principale suspecte a déclaré en garde à vue" [Lola's murder: what the main suspect said in police custody]. Europe 1 (in French). Retrieved 28 November 2025.
  13. ^ a b Falco, Élodie (18 October 2022). "Meurtre de Lola : voici ce qu'a dit la principale suspecte aux enquêteurs" [Murder of Lola: this is what the main suspect said to investigators]. Le Journal du Dimanche (in French). Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  14. ^ Vantighem, Vincent (15 October 2022). "Adolescente retrouvée morte dans une malle à Paris: ce que l'on sait sur l'affaire" [Teenage girl found dead in a trunk in Paris: what we know about the case]. BFM TV (in French). Retrieved 28 November 2025.
  15. ^ Groyer, Flavien; Laspière, Victor Tribot; Richard, Aurore (17 October 2022). "Collégienne tuée à Paris : ce que l'on sait du meurtre de Lola, 12 ans, retrouvée dans une malle" [Schoolgirl murdered in Paris : what we know about the murder of 12-year-old Lola, {whose body was} found in a trunk]. Ici (in French). Retrieved 28 November 2025.
  16. ^ "فرنسا: انطلاق محاكمة جزائرية بتهمة قتل واغتصاب الطفلة لولا قبل ثلاث سنوات" [France: Algerian woman's trial begins, for the rape and murder of Lola three years ago]. France 24 in Arabic (in Arabic). 17 October 2017. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
  17. ^ Sage, Adam. "Neo-Nazis exploit murder of schoolgirl". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  18. ^ a b Bordenave, Yves (24 October 2022). "12-year-old Lola's funeral held 10 days after vicious Paris murder". Le Monde. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
  19. ^ a b "Meurtre de Lola : L'Algérienne fait des aveux monstrueux" [Lola's murder : The Algerian woman makes monstrous confessions]. ObservAlgérie (in French). 18 October 2022. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
  20. ^ a b c d e f "Mort de Lola à Paris : ce que l'on sait du parcours de la suspecte" [Death of Lola in Paris: what we know about the suspect's background]. Le Monde (in French). Agence France-Presse. 18 October 2022. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  21. ^ Courtine, Denis; Pham-Lê, Jérémie (16 October 2022). "Meurtre de Lola, 12 ans, à Paris : Dahbia B., une SDF au profil de déséquilibrée au cœur de l'enquête" [Murder of 12-year-old Lola in Paris: Dahbia B., a homeless woman with a history of mental illness, at the heart of the investigation]. Le Parisien (in French). Retrieved 28 November 2025.
  22. ^ "Ce que l'on sait de Dhabia B., suspectée d'avoir tué la jeune Lola" [What we know about Dhabia B., suspected of murdering young Lola]. 20 Minutes (in French). 18 October 2022. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
  23. ^ Sellami, Stéphane (18 October 2022). "Dahbia B., suspectée du meurtre de Lola : «J'ai vu le visage de sa mère en elle»" [Dahbia B., suspect for the murder of Lola : «I saw the face of her mother in her»]. Le Journal du Dimanche (in French). Retrieved 28 November 2025.
  24. ^ Séré, Ludovic. "Meurtre de Lola : la piste d'un différend avec la mère évoquée par la principale suspecte" [Lola's murder : the issue of a dispute with the mother invoked by the main suspect]. Libération (in French). Retrieved 28 November 2025.
  25. ^ Hunzinger, Emmanuelle (19 October 2022). "Meurtre de Lola : l'avocat de Dahbia B., la meurtrière présumée de la collégienne, à l'assaut des rumeurs" [Lola's murder : Lawyer of Dahbia B., the alleged murderer of the schoolgirl, attacks the rumors]. France 3 Paris Île-de-France (in French). Retrieved 28 November 2025.
  26. ^ a b "Procès du meurtre de Lola : Dahbia Benkired condamnée à la "perpétuité réelle", une première pour une femme en France" [Trial of Lola's murder : Dahbia Benkired sentenced to "life imprisonment without parole", a first for a woman in France]. Radio Télévision Luxembourg. Neuilly-sur-Seine, France: RTL. 24 October 2025. Retrieved 27 November 2025.
  27. ^ Jordan, Dearbail (24 October 2025). "Woman gets rare whole-life sentence for murder of French schoolgirl Lola Daviet". BBC News. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
  28. ^ Nicholls, Catherine; Kennedy, Niamh; Ataman, Joseph. "Woman in France Sentenced to Life in Prison for Rape, Torture and Murder of 12-Year-Old Girl in Paris". CNN. Paris. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
  29. ^ Nicholls, Catherine; Kennedy, Niamh; Ataman, Joseph (24 October 2025). "Woman in France sentenced to life in prison for rape, torture and murder of 12-year-old girl in Paris". CNN. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
  30. ^ "French President Emmanuel Macron meets parents of murdered 12-year-old". France 24. 19 October 2022. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  31. ^ Fouché, Alexandra (21 October 2022). "Lola: Girl's murder an act of 'extreme evil', President Macron says". BBC News. Paris. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  32. ^ Barre, Pierre-Hugues (3 November 2022). "Who Killed Lola? | Opinion". Newsweek. Archived from the original on 11 March 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
  33. ^ "Parents of girl found in suitcase urge French politicians to stop exploiting death". The Guardian. Agence France-Presse. 21 October 2022. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  34. ^ "Affaire Lola : Le père de la fillette dont le corps avait été retrouvé dans une malle en 2022 est mort" [Lola affair : The father of the young girl found in a trunk in 2022 is dead]. La Nouvelle République du Centre-Ouest (in French). 26 February 2024. Retrieved 27 November 2025.
  35. ^ "Meurtre de Lola" [Murder of Lola]. La Dépêche du Midi (in French). 15 October 2025. Retrieved 28 November 2025. Johan Daviet, ne sera pas présent. Dévasté par le décès de sa fille, retombé dans l'alcoolisme en raison du chagrin causé par la perte de son enfant, l'homme de 49 ans est est mort un an après elle. [Johan Daviet, will not be present. Devastated by the death of his daughter, falling into alcoholism due to grief caused by the loss of his child, the 49-year-old died a year after her.]{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  36. ^ Lauzun, Hélène de (17 October 2025). "Justice for Little Lola: Trial Opens in Paris". The European Conservative. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
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