Death of an 11-year-old in France exposes cracks in the judicial system

PARIS (AP) — A firestorm of recrimination raged in France on Friday over failures in the justice system that kept a man now suspected in the disappearance and death of an 11-year-old girl out of custody despite allegations that he preyed on young adolescents.

The disappearance of the girl identified by police as Lyhanna and days of searches that ended with the discovery of her body in a disused grain silo have gripped national and, increasingly, political attention since she went missing in the southwestern Gers region on May 29.

Police notices said she'd been wearing a black-and-white striped top, black shorts and yellow socks with branding from the Japanese manga series “One Piece.”

After six days of searching by police and volunteers, authorities announced Thursday that a child's body dressed in “similar clothes” had been found.

Police were led to the grain silo by a tip-off that the suspect in custody had previously worked there, Gers-region prosecutor Olivier Naboulet said in a statement on Friday evening.

DNA matching confirmed the body was Lyhanna's but more autopsy work is needed to determine the cause of death, Naboulet said.

Speaking earlier Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron joined the outpouring of dismay, saying the case revealed cracks in the system and that he was “shocked.”

“Things didn't happen as they should have done. That is clear. And so it is unacceptable,” Macron said. “We cannot look her family in the face and say everything went well."

French media reported that the 41-year-old man taken into custody was seen in front of Lyhanna's school in the Gers town of Fleurance and, on surveillance cameras, later spotted driving with her in his car. He told investigators that he dropped her off near the municipal swimming pool, media reports said.

Another Gers-region prosecutor, Clémence Meyer, said this week that young girls and their families had previously lodged multiple complaints about the suspect, including allegations of rape.

An allegation that the man raped a minor at his Gers-region home in 2020 was looked into, with medical evaluations and police interviews, but authorities closed the case in 2024 for lack of evidence, the prosecutor said.

The man was the subject of another, still ongoing police investigation for alleged rape when Lyhanna disappeared. The child in that case alleges that the suspect raped her repeatedly at his home in 2024 and 2025, the prosecutor said. That case has bounced between jurisdictions.

She said another allegation of raping a minor was lodged against the man this week.

The government has launched an investigation. Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin said officials will look at the time it took for casework to be transferred between jurisdictions, why information is transmitted on paper, not electronically, why police seemingly didn't follow orders and “why we didn’t intervene despite many months of complaints against the man.”

“It’s completely unacceptable,” Darmanin said, speaking Thursday. “We are all terrified by this malfunction."

He said it reveals "our poor organization and without doubt, the fact that at the Justice Ministry and elsewhere, we don’t take the words of children seriously.”

French police block the road near a farm silo where a body was found yesterday during the search to find missing 11 year-old girl Lyhanna in Puycasquier, southwestern France, Friday, June,5, 2026. (AP Photo/Frederic Lancelot)

A videographer films the entrance of a farm silo where a body was found yesterday during the search to find missing 11 year-old girl Lyhanna in Puycasquier, southwestern France, Friday, June,5, 2026. (AP Photo/Frederic Lancelot)

French police guard a farm silo where a body was found yesterday during the search to find missing 11 year-old girl Lyhanna in Puycasquier, southwestern France, Friday, June,5, 2026. (AP Photo/Frederic Lancelot)

French police guard a farm silo where a body was found yesterday during the search to find missing 11 year-old girl Lyhanna in Puycasquier, southwestern France, Friday, June,5, 2026. (AP Photo/Frederic Lancelot)

HOUSTON (AP) — Isaac Paredes homered for the third straight game, driving in four runs to propel the Houston Astros to a 5-1 victory over the Athletics on Friday night.

Jeremy Peña singled off Jack Perkins (2-3) to begin the first inning, extending his hitting streak to six games before Yordan Alvarez followed with a walk. Paredes homered for the ninth time for a 3-0 lead.

Alvarez, who chased down first-inning fly balls from Shea Langeliers and Nick Kurtz in left field in his first start out there since May 5, singled to start the third before scoring on a triple by Christian Walker. Paredes followed with a sacrifice fly for a 5-0 advantage.

Peter Lambert (5-4) was cruising until Brent Rooker hit his ninth homer in the sixth. The right-hander then walked Tyler Soderstrom in front of a double by Henry Bolte to put runners on second and third with one out. Enyel De Los Santos came in and struck out Zach Gelof before retiring Jeff McNeil on a liner to Jose Altuve at second to limit the damage.

The Athletics loaded the bases with one out in the second, but Lambert struck out McNeil and Darell Hernaiz to keep it 3-0. He allowed one run on five hits and four walks in 5 1/3 innings.

De Los Santos retired all five batters he faced, Bryan King pitched a scoreless eighth, and closer Josh Hader struck out the side in his second appearance after beginning the season on the injured list.

Altuve singled in the eighth and finished 1 for 4 in his first game since May 16 when he landed on the IL with a strained left oblique. It was the only hit off reliever Mason Barnett over the final four innings.

Perkins was charged with all five runs in four innings.

Athletics RHP Kade Morris was set to make his big-league debut on the mound Saturday, opposite Astros rookie RHP Tatsuya Imai (2-3, 5.52).

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Athletics relief pitcher Mason Barnett throws against the Houston Astros during the fifth inning of a baseball game Friday, June 5, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)

Houston Astros starting pitcher Peter Lambert throws against the Athletics during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, June 5, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)

Athletics starting pitcher Jack Perkins throws against the Houston Astros during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, June 5, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)

Houston Astros Jeremy Peña (3), designated hitter Isaac Paredes (15) and Yordan Alvarez (44) celebrate after they all score on the three run home run by Paredes against the Athletics during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, June 5, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)

Houston Astros designated hitter Isaac Paredes flips his bat as he watches his hit against the Athletics during the third inning of a baseball game Friday, June 5, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)