A woman who killed a French schoolgirl receives a rare life sentence.
In a case that has outraged France, a woman who raped and killed 12-year-old Lola Daviet in Paris was given an unusual whole-life sentence. A jury and panel of judges voted to impose the nation’s highest punishment, which requires 27-year-old Dahbia Benkired to serve at least 30 years in prison.
Benkired is the first woman to receive a whole-life term, which is incredibly uncommon in France. Among those sentenced include jihadist Salah Abdeslam, who participated in the 2015 Paris attacks that claimed 130 lives, and serial killer and rapist Michel Fourniret.
Delphine Daviet, Lola’s mother, stated after the verdict: “We believed in justice and we got it. “We have restored the truth, we have returned the memory of my sister,” her brother Thibault continued. Note: There are some upsetting aspects in this narrative.
The murder of Lola took place in October 2022. In the courtyard of the building where she resided in northeastern Paris, her body was found in a plastic storage box. Benkired, an immigrant from Algeria, was told to leave the nation. The case has caught the attention of far-right and right-wing leaders in France.
During the trial, the prosecutor had urged that Benkired should be given the maximum penalty. After being evaluated by mental health professionals, Benkired was determined to be sane despite having “psychopathic” features.
To a panel of six jurors and three judges, the prosecution stated: “There is no doubt that Ms. Benkired’s personality cannot be fundamentally changed by drug therapy. There is no cure when there is no disease.
Benkired told the court before the jury started deliberating on Friday: “I ask for pardon because what I did is dreadful.”
“I have nothing more to say.”
After Lola got home from school on the afternoon of October 14, 2022, Benkired, who was 24 at the time, was seen approaching her in CCTV footage.
Benkired allegedly tricked Lola into renting a flat in the building that her older sister was subletting.
Benkired assaulted the 12-year-old with scissors and a box cutter after sexually abusing her for an hour and a half.
Benkired bound Duct tape was used on Lola, including around her skull, which caused her to asphyxiate and die.
The presiding judge referred to the “severe harshness of the criminal actions” as “real torture” while he read out the verdict.
He stated, “The court considered the unspeakable psychological harm to the victim and her family in such severe and nearly unimaginable circumstances while establishing the proper sentence.”
Benkired had not renewed his student visa while he was in France. She was halted at a Paris airport in July 2022 and given 30 days to depart the nation.
To a panel of six jurors and three judges, the prosecution stated: “There is no doubt that Ms. Benkired’s personality cannot be fundamentally changed by drug therapy. There is no cure when there is no disease.
Benkired told the court before the jury started deliberating on Friday: “I ask for pardon because what I did is dreadful.”
“I have nothing more to say.”
After Lola got home from school on the afternoon of October 14, 2022, Benkired, who was 24 at the time, was seen approaching her in CCTV footage.
Benkired allegedly tricked Lola into renting a flat in the building that her older sister was subletting. Benkired assaulted the 12-year-old with scissors and a box cutter after sexually abusing her for an hour and a half. Benkired bound Duct tape was used on Lola, including around her skull, which caused her to asphyxiate and die.
The presiding judge referred to the “severe harshness of the criminal actions” as “real torture” while he read out the verdict.
He stated, “The court considered the unspeakable psychological harm to the victim and her family in such severe and nearly unimaginable circumstances while establishing the proper sentence.”
Benkired had not renewed his student visa while he was in France. She was halted at a Paris airport in July 2022 and given 30 days to depart the nation.