Case Overview

On Friday, 17 October 2025, the trial began for Dahbia Benkired, charged with the murder, rape, and acts of torture or barbarity against 12-year-old Lola.

The Facts

On 14 October 2022, Lola disappeared on her way home from school in Paris. Later that evening, her body was discovered in a trunk at the bottom of her building. The following day, police arrested Dahbia Benkired, 27, who confessed to the crime. At the time, Benkired—an Algerian national—was staying with her sister in the 19th arrondissement, where Lola’s parents served as caretakers.

Sequence of Events

- CCTV images show Lola meeting Dahbia Benkired at approximately 3:15 p.m., entering the building together—the last time Lola was seen alive.

- At 5 p.m., Benkired is seen leaving alone, carrying heavy luggage.

Details of the Crime

According to the investigation, Benkired forced Lola into her sister’s apartment, where the child was subjected to sexual assault, struck multiple times with scissors and a box cutter, and ultimately suffocated by adhesive tape over her face. Lola’s body showed multiple signs of violence and restraint.

The Trial

Psychiatric evaluations concluded Benkired was fully aware of her actions, confirming her criminal responsibility. The trial, held before the Paris Assize Court, opened three years after the tragedy. Benkired faced charges of "the murder of a 15-year-old minor accompanied or preceded by rape, torture, or acts of barbarity" and "rape of a minor with torture or acts of barbarity." The penalty: life imprisonment.

Innocence en Danger, represented by Maître Mathias Darmon, acted as a civil party to advocate for the interests of the victim and support the search for the truth.

Verdict

After six days of hearings, the Paris Assize Court delivered its decision on 24 October 2025. 

- Dahbia Benkired was found guilty on all charges and sentenced to life imprisonment with no possibility of parole—a so-called “irreducible” or “real” life sentence.

- This is the heaviest penalty possible in French law. 

- Benkired is the first woman in France to receive this sentence. 

- She did not appeal; the sentence became final after the ten-day legal period expired.