A French court has sentenced Dahbia Benkired to life in
prison without parole for the horrific rape, torture, and murder of 12-year-old Lola Daviet. The 27-year-old Algerian national received the harshest sentence under the French penal code, which mandates she spend a minimum of 30 years in prison. Benkired is the first woman in France to ever receive this irreducible life sentence, marking a landmark decision in the French justice system.
The crime, which occurred in October 2022, shocked France when Daviet's mutilated body was found stuffed inside a plastic box outside her Paris apartment building just hours after she was reported missing. CCTV footage showed Daviet entering the building with Benkired earlier that afternoon, and the killer later leaving alone with heavy luggage.
According to the police prosecutor's statement, the victim died of cardiorespiratory failure due to asphyxiation and cervical compression following the sexual assault and extreme violence.
Following the verdict, the victim's family expressed satisfaction with the court's response, with Lola's brother thanking the justice system and the family lawyer welcoming the "fair decision" that "restored this young girl's memory." Benkired's lawyer confirmed the verdict was not a surprise, and while his client apologized for her "horrible" crimes in court, she has not yet decided whether to appeal the sentence.
Source: Euronews
