A homeless stranger, a missing schoolgirl, and a suitcase: how a child’s death ignited France’s immigration wars

According to investigators, Lola was last seen on CCTV footage walking home from school when she encountered Benkired outside her building, where her parents worked as concierges. Later, Benkired was seen in the same hallway carrying several suitcases, including the trunk where the girl’s body was later discovered, the report added.

Following her arrest, Benkired reportedly gave contradictory statements about the events. She was examined by psychiatrists and psychologists but was ultimately deemed fit to stand trial. She has been held at Fresnes prison, south of Paris, since her detention three years ago.

The crime provoked a national outcry and became a flashpoint for political opportunism. Far-right leader Marine Le Pen and members of her Rassemblement National party seized on the case to criticise France’s immigration policies, blaming the government for failing to deport Benkired, The Guardian reported. Conservative MPs from Les Républicains echoed similar sentiments, claiming that France’s “weakness on immigration” had led to the girl’s death.

Government ministers at the time urged restraint and condemned the politicisation of the tragedy. Then-justice minister Éric Dupond-Moretti accused the far right of using “the coffin of a 12-year-old girl” for political gain, calling it an act of “petty politics.”

Under French law, any sexual act involving violence, coercion, or threat constitutes rape, and Benkired faces a possible life sentence if convicted.

The trial, expected to last a week, is being closely followed across France. A verdict is anticipated next Friday, marking the culmination of a case.