First woman in France sentenced to life without parole for rape and murder of schoolgirl

Dahbia Benkired has been sentenced to life imprisonment without nan anticipation of parole for raping, torturing, and sidesplitting 12-year-old Lola Daviet successful 2022, nan first clip specified a condemnation has ever been handed down to a female successful France.

A Paris tribunal handed down nan maximum condemnation to 27-year-old Dahbia Benkired connected Friday, pursuing her condemnation for nan rape, torture, and execution of Lola Daviet, whose assemblage was recovered successful a integrative trunk extracurricular her location successful northeastern Paris.

Lola's mother and relative embraced and collapsed down successful tears arsenic nan verdict was read. Lola's begetter died successful 2024 pursuing his daughter's death.

Throughout nan trial, Dahbia Benkired remained mostly emotionless and showed nary guidance during nan reference of nan verdict.

The crime horrified France and sparked governmental statement aft it emerged that Benkired, calved successful Algeria, was undocumented and had been ordered to time off nan state 2 months earlier nan murder.

A lawsuit that shocked France

Lola's assemblage was recovered stuffed wrong a integrative trunk connected a Paris thoroughfare adjacent her home.

The 12-year-old had returned from schoolhouse connected 14 October 2022 to nan building successful nan northeast of nan French superior wherever her parents worked arsenic doorway attendants.

Surveillance footage showed Benkired, who was bum and unemployed but staying astatine her sister's flat successful nan aforesaid building, gathering nan kid soon aft 3 pm.

When Lola grounded to return home, her parents raised nan alarm. An hr and a half later, Benkired was seen connected camera again successful nan building’s entranceway hall, surrounded by suitcases, including nan ample trunk wherever nan girl's assemblage would later beryllium found.

Benkrired was arrested soon afterwards and, pursuing aggregate psychiatric evaluations, deemed fresh to guidelines trial. She has been held astatine Fresnes prison, southbound of Paris, for nan past 3 years.

"I'm indifferent"

At nan Paris tribunal connected Friday, aft an hour-long closing statement, nan lawyer wide requested an irreducible life sentence. Only a fistful of specified sentences person been handed down since it was introduced successful 1994.

The punishment, sometimes referred to arsenic "real life imprisonment," intends location is nary anticipation of early merchandise aliases a simplification successful nan magnitude of nan sentence.

However, French rule allows a reappraisal aft 30 years, upon petition by nan convicted person. A typical sheet of 5 judges from nan Court of Cassation, nan country's highest court, whitethorn authorise release, but only if it poses nary superior threat to nationalist bid and aft consulting victims' families.

A troubled inheritance and chilling detachment

Experts told nan tribunal connected Thursday that Benkired is criminally responsible for her actions.

They recovered nary motion of intelligence unwellness aliases impaired judgement, describing her arsenic of "normal intelligence" and free of immoderate "psychiatric pathology."

One psychiatric study described her arsenic "cold, passive-aggressive, pinch contradictory and fantastical speech," exhibiting "pathological narcissism," antisocial behaviour and "a very precocious consequence of reoffending."

A 2nd information recovered "no depressive, anxious aliases post-traumatic symptoms" and noted her "very debased empathy."

Her affectional detachment has been noted since her arrest. "At nary infinitesimal did she show immoderate motion of regret, to nan constituent that it made maine uncertainty her guilt contempt each nan grounds pointing to her. The facts were truthful horrific that I expected her to break down," a constabulary serviceman testified.

When shown photos of nan tortured victim, Benkired said: "I consciousness indifferent."

The tribunal besides examined Benkired’s past: a puerility marked by unit successful Algeria, alleged intersexual maltreatment and early cannabis usage aft arriving successful France astatine 16.

Unable to find societal aliases master stability, she claimed that she drifted into activity work.

In her last words to nan tribunal earlier nan assemblage retired to deliberate, Benkired said: "I inquire for forgiveness, it's horrible what I did, and that’s each I person to say."

During nan hearing, Benkired sat successful nan dock pinch a blank stare, ne'er showing emotion.

Members of Lola's family wore matching T-shirts base a drafting of nan young woman and nan words "You will beryllium nan sun of our lives and nan prima of our nights."