France was left reeling after the brutal killing of 12-year-old Lola Daviet, whose father later “died of grief”, unable to recover from the horror of losing his child. The girl’s tragic death at the hands of an Algerian woman living illegally in Paris exposed a story of cruelty, grief, and failure that shook the nation.

Lola was last seen on October 14, 2022, captured by surveillance cameras returning from school. Hours later, her body was found hidden inside a trunk at her parents’ workplace. The accused, Dahbia Benkired, then 24, lived in the same apartment complex even though she was under a government expulsion order. Investigators allege she raped, tortured, and murdered the girl in an attack described by Le Monde as “unimaginable barbarity” (France 24, Le Monde).

Prosecutors told the court that Benkired lured Lola into her apartment and attacked her with scissors and a box cutter, “partially severing her head.” The child’s head, nose, and mouth were bound with tape, which led to suffocation. It was further alleged that Benkired forced the child to undress and perform a sex act before killing her.

The horrific details emerged as the trial began in 2024. On the second day, Lola’s mother, Delphine Daviet, gave an emotional testimony. She recounted that her husband, Johan, who had remained sober for years, began drinking again the day their daughter was killed. “He drank from morning to night,” she told the judges. She added that he “died of grief” and was haunted by “his demons.” Johan passed away in February 2023, only months after the murder, consumed by despair.

Before he died, Johan left a letter taped to Benkired’s apartment door. It read:
“My darling, I still don’t understand why there was so much cruelty and barbarity towards you, you who were so kind.”
The message ended with, “I can’t wait to see you again,” and was signed, “Your dad, who loves you for life.”

In court, Lola’s brother, Thibault Daviet, spoke for the entire family, including his late father. “I would like to speak on behalf of the whole family... and of course my father, who is unfortunately no longer here because of the same person. We would like you to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, to all of France and to us.”

The courtroom then watched disturbing security footage showing Benkired hauling a trunk containing Lola’s body into a local bar. Other clips showed her opening a suitcase with the girl’s remains inside while sitting in a crowded café only hours after the killing. Investigators testified that the numbers ‘1’ and ‘0’ were mysteriously written on Lola’s feet. A forensic expert reported that the victim sustained 38 separate injuries to her back and neck before dying of suffocation.

“There is physical, psychological and moral suffering,” the pathologist told the court. “Asphyxia is very anxiety-provoking; it goes beyond physical pain. There were probably one or more impacts to the head, which creates physical pain.” As graphic photographs of the child’s body were shown, several family members left the courtroom in tears.

The doctor further revealed that Lola had “visible traumatic injuries” to her private parts and “hemorrhagic trauma to various parts of the body, particularly to the child’s private parts.” She was forced to perform a sexual act, suffered a large wound on her face, deep cuts on her back, and her head was partially severed — confirming the unimaginable violence of the attack.

Illegal Immigrant Who Raped and Beheaded Girl, 12, Receives France’s Harshest Sentence

In a decision that stunned the nation, Dahbia Benkired, now 27, has been sentenced to life imprisonment without parole — a punishment rarely used in France. A jury and panel of judges imposed the country’s toughest penalty, ensuring she serves at least 30 years behind bars before any review. According to Reuters and Express US, Benkired is the first woman ever to receive a whole-life term in France (Reuters, Express US).

This extraordinary punishment places her among criminals such as Salah Abdeslam, the only surviving terrorist from the 2015 Paris attacks that killed 130 people, and Michel Fourniret, a notorious serial killer and rapist.

After the verdict, Delphine Daviet told reporters, “We believed in justice and we got it.” Her son Thibault added, “We have restored the memory of my sister, we have restored the truth.”

The murder of Lola occurred in October 2022 at the family’s building in north-eastern Paris. Her body was discovered in a plastic storage box in the courtyard. Benkired, an illegal immigrant from Algeria, had been ordered to leave France but ignored multiple expulsion notices. The case quickly drew attention from right-wing and far-right politicians, who used it to criticise lax immigration enforcement.

During the trial, prosecutors demanded the maximum penalty. Psychological experts declared Benkired sane but noted she exhibited “psychopathic” traits. Addressing a court of three judges and six jurors, the prosecutor cautioned: “Make no mistake: no drug treatment can fundamentally change Ms Benkired’s personality. When there is no illness, there is no treatment.”

Before the jury began deliberations, Benkired gave a short, emotionless statement:
“I ask for forgiveness and what I did is horrible. That’s all I have to say.”

Evidence showed that after Lola returned home from school on the afternoon of October 14, 2022, Benkired approached her and persuaded her to enter an apartment in the same building, where her sister was subletting a room. Over the next ninety minutes, she sexually abused the girl, then attacked her with scissors and a box cutter in a final act of cruelty.

The case has become one of France’s darkest criminal chapters — a haunting reminder of unchecked violence and the deep scars left on an ordinary family.