An Algerian woman accused of raping, torturing and murdering a 12-year-old schoolgirl in Paris has gone on trial three years after the horrific crime shocked France and ignited fierce political debate over immigration enforcement.
Dahbia Benkired, now 27, appeared at the Paris Assize Court on Friday charged with killing Lola Daviet in October 2022. The girl’s body was discovered in a trunk in the lobby of the apartment building where her parents worked as caretakers.
In a monotone voice, Benkired offered an apology to the victim’s family, stating it was “horrible” what she had done and that she regretted her actions. The trial, scheduled to run until 24 October, will attempt to establish a clear motive for the brutal killing that has left investigators puzzled.
Father Died “Heartbroken” After Daughter’s Murder
Lola’s father, Johan Daviet, never recovered from his daughter’s death, separating from his wife and descending into alcoholism before dying of a heart attack in February 2024. According to the family’s lawyer, Clotilde Lepetit, his death came after his “head and heart were too close to hell” following what happened to his daughter.
Lola’s brother, Thibault, addressed the accused directly during Friday’s hearing, saying the family wanted her to tell “the whole truth and nothing but the truth, to all of France and to us,” referencing their late father who died “because of the same person.”
Delphine Daviet, Lola’s mother, told the court she was “waiting for justice to be done.” Family members sat in court wearing white T-shirts bearing a picture of a smiling child and the words: “You were the sun of our life, you will be the star of our nights.
The Crime That Horrified a Nation
The events unfolded on 14 October 2022, when Lola was approached by Benkired as she returned home from school in northeast Paris. Security footage captured Benkired leading the 12-year-old into the sixth-floor apartment where Benkired’s sister lived, the same building where Lola’s family served as caretakers.
According to forensic findings, Lola was subjected to multiple sexual assaults and violence involving knives and scissors whilst still alive. The schoolgirl died from asphyxiation after being wrapped entirely in adhesive tape, including across her face.
Building residents witnessed Benkired approximately 90 minutes later in the entrance hall carrying suitcases and a heavy trunk covered with a blanket. Outside a nearby café, when a customer grew suspicious of her luggage, Benkired claimed she was “selling a kidney,” investigators revealed.
She convinced an acquaintance to drive her with the bags to his home before taking a taxi with the trunk back to the building where her sister resided. She fled when police arrived in the area but was arrested the following day. A homeless man discovered Lola’s body inside the trunk at approximately 11:30pm that evening.
Immigration Status Sparks Political Firestorm
The case triggered intense political controversy after it emerged that Benkired was living illegally in France, having overstayed a student visa and failed to comply with an expulsion order.
Born in Algiers, Benkired arrived legally in France in May 2016 on a student visa. On 21 August 2022, just two months before the murder, she was detained at Orly Airport and issued an obligation to leave French territory (OQTF), giving her 30 days to return to Algeria. As she had no criminal record, she was not placed in a detention centre.
When questioned in court about why she refused to leave France despite the expulsion order, Benkired responded: “I feel free in France. In Algeria, we have no life. There was no reason. I studied here, I grew up here, I have my whole family here.”
Conservative and far-right politicians seized on the case, with Marine Le Pen of the National Rally attacking the government in the National Assembly. Éric Zemmour of Reconquête coined the controversial term “Francocide” to describe the murder, drawing criticism from Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin.
However, the victim’s mother has urged politicians to stop exploiting her daughter’s death. Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne called on critics to “show a little decency” and respect the parents’ pain, saying authorities should be allowed to do their work.
Troubled Background and Unclear Motive
In court, Benkired described growing up in a dysfunctional family with a childhood split between Algeria and France, characterised by unloving aunts and a violent father. She mentioned alleged sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of a neighbour when she was 14, as well as “men who came to her aunts’ house” in Algeria.
Benkired settled permanently in France in 2013 but had no stable employment or residence. The investigation revealed she was homeless and unemployed at the time of the killing, lodging with her sister.
During initial questioning, Benkired expressed anger toward Lola’s mother, who had refused to give her an access badge for the apartment building’s front door, despite her sister providing a key to the flat. Investigators discovered internet searches about witchcraft on Benkired’s devices in the days before the murder. She wrote the numbers 0 and 1 in nail varnish on the soles of Lola’s feet, which investigators believe may relate to occult rituals.
During interrogation, Benkired mentioned discussions with acquaintances about “Zouhris” children, often blonde, who according to Moroccan and Algerian folklore are kidnapped and killed in occult ceremonies to find buried treasures.
During police questioning, Benkired fluctuated between accepting and denying responsibility, at times claiming her account was actually a dream, or blaming the crime on an armed stranger or a ghost.
Psychiatric Evaluation and Legal Proceedings
Psychiatric assessments found that whilst Benkired displayed manipulative behaviour and was a heavy cannabis user, she did not suffer from a major psychiatric disorder. Experts deemed her mentally competent to stand trial.
Lola was described by her mother as having a gentle temperament and finding it difficult to say no. The 12-year-old pupil at Georges-Brassens middle school was passionate about aerobic gymnastics and regarded as a leader with strong academic results.
Benkired faces charges of murder of a minor under 15 accompanied by rape committed with acts of torture and barbarity. If convicted, she faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. The verdict is expected on 24 October.
Ahead of the trial, anti-immigration activists unfurled a banner outside the courthouse reading “I don’t want to be next.” Members of far-right group Les Natifs filmed themselves spray-painting a nearby pavement with the words “Immigration kills our wives, our mothers and our sisters.
The trial continues as France grapples with questions about immigration enforcement, child safety and the devastating ripple effects of violent crime on victims’ families.
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