Paris, France — In a landmark verdict that gripped France, an Algerian woman, Dahbia Benkired, was sentenced on Friday to life imprisonment without parole for the brutal rape, torture, and murder of 12-year-old schoolgirl Lola Daviet in Paris.
The sentence, known as an “irreducible life term,” is the harshest punishment in French law and was handed to a woman for the first time in the country’s history.
The 26-year-old Benkired showed little emotion as the Paris Criminal Court read out its decision, closing a case that has both horrified and divided the nation since October 2022.
The killing of young Lola, whose body was found stuffed inside a trunk near her family’s apartment building, shocked France and fuelled fierce political debates over immigration policy.
Prosecutors described the murder as an act of “unimaginable cruelty.” Court documents revealed that Benkired kidnapped Lola after an argument with the girl’s mother, who worked as a caretaker in the same building. She then subjected the child to hours of torture before killing her.
“Her crime was deliberate, sadistic, and devoid of humanity,” said the presiding judge, calling the act “beyond redemption.” The court concluded that Benkired posed an ongoing danger to society, warranting the rare irreducible sentence, which excludes the possibility of parole or early release.
The victim’s parents, present in court, broke down as the verdict was read. “No punishment can bring back our daughter, but justice has been served,” said Lola’s father, his voice shaking.
The case quickly took on political overtones, as opposition leaders criticized what they called France’s failure to control illegal immigration. Benkired was in France without valid residency papers, a fact that reignited tensions across the political spectrum.
Far-right figures used the crime to push for stricter border enforcement and deportation policies.
Government officials, however, cautioned against politicizing the tragedy. “Justice must not become an instrument of ideology,” Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said, emphasizing that “one woman’s crime cannot define an entire community.”
Legal experts say the irreducible life sentence underscores the exceptional severity of the crime. Since the penalty’s introduction in 1994, it has been imposed only on the most notorious offenders, including serial killers and terrorists — all of them men until now.
Human rights advocates expressed concern over the ruling, arguing that life without parole removes any hope of rehabilitation. “Even the most heinous crimes should not preclude the chance for remorse,” said Amnesty International’s France director, Jean-Claude Samier.
For many in France, however, the verdict represents closure after years of anguish. Outside the courthouse, hundreds gathered to honor Lola’s memory, leaving flowers and messages that read “Justice for Lola.”
As the courtroom emptied, one message from the judge lingered: “This is not just a punishment — it is a reflection of the gravity of a crime that scarred an entire nation.”