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Woman charged in Paris over 12-year-old’s brutal murder

Paris investigators on Monday charged a woman suspected of raping and murdering a 12-year-old girl whose body was found in a trunk on Friday, a source close to the case told AFP.

Published: 17 October 2022 16:01 CEST
Updated: 18 October 2022 09:31 CEST

Woman charged in Paris over 12-year-old's brutal murder

Bouquets of flowers on display at the Parisian building where Lola, a 12 year-old schoolgirl who was found dead (Photo by Geoffroy Van der Hasselt / AFP)

The main suspect, identified as a 24-year-old woman suffering from psychiatric disorders, was questioned earlier Monday alongside an older man suspected of sheltering her.

The 24-year-old has been charged with the rape and murder of a minor aged under 15 along with torture and abuse, the source said.

A judge ordered that she be held in provisional custody.

Prosecutors said in a press release Monday that under questioning, the woman made “varying statements, switching between admitting and denying the facts of the case.”

But she eventually said she had brought the girl — identified only by her first name, Lola — to her sister’s apartment in the same building, where she forced her to take a shower.

The woman said she had then “committed harm of a sexual nature and other violent acts against (Lola) that caused her death, and hid her body in the trunk,” prosecutors said.

According to the autopsy, the young girl died due to “cardio-respiratory failure with signs of asphyxia and cervical compression”.

Other non-fatal wounds were found on her face and back as well as large gashes on her neck, and the numbers 0 and 1 were written in red on the soles of each of her feet.

“Investigations are continuing to determine exactly what happened (and) to establish the criminal responsibility of the people involved,” prosecutors added.

The suspect’s lawyer Alexandre Silva expressed sympathy for Lola’s family, before calling on the press not to report “rumours” and insisting on the presumption of innocence for his client.

The 43-year-old man also questioned in custody on Monday admitted that he brought the 24-year-old woman to his home with the trunk and two suitcases, where he said she stayed for two hours before leaving again in a chauffeur-driven car he had called for her.

Spotted on CCTV

The main suspect was arrested on Saturday in Bois-Colombes in Paris’ northwestern suburbs, after investigators tracked her movements on CCTV cameras from the building and the surrounding area as well as using phone records and physical searches.

Lola’s parents had called police after their daughter did not return from middle school on Friday afternoon.

Her father, the custodian in the building, was unsettled by seeing the unknown woman enter the building in Paris’ 19th district alongside his daughter when he checked the CCTV recordings.

An eyewitness who also saw the suspect at the scene said that she had offered him money to help her move a large trunk, several media outlets reported.

But a homeless man was the first to discover the body, which sources familiar with the investigation said was hidden under cloths in a plastic box in the building’s courtyard.

Six people, including the suspect’s sister and others who had contact with her in the time immediately following the killing, have so far been placed in custody in relation to the case, with four since released.

‘Time for mourning’

Local residents placed flowers at the gate of the family’s building over the weekend.

Meanwhile, school authorities have announced they will set up psychological aid for staff and pupils at Lola’s school and others in the area.

One mother told AFP that her daughter, another pupil who knew Lola by sight, was “not doing well today, she doesn’t want to go to school.”

“Today it’s time for mourning and for the investigation, which seems to be progressing quickly,” 19th district mayor Francois Dagnaud said during a visit to the Georges-Brassens school.

“What’s important is that the main suspect for now has been arrested, there’s no psychopath roaming the streets of this neighbourhood,” he added after local parents reported fears for their children’s safety.

“Of course, the fact that a 12-year-old child can die in such circumstances is overwhelming for everybody,” he added, saying that counselling would also be offered to local residents.

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Apps, reservations and flying taxis: What to know before visiting Paris this summer

France’s capital is expected to welcome 15 million people between late July and early September – considerably more than the 6.2 to 6.4 million visitors who came between July and August in 2023 or the roughly 10 million summer visitors Paris saw in pre-pandemic days.

On top of a larger than normal amount of visitors, there are some other changes that visitors to Paris should anticipate this summer, as well as tools to help make life easier.

Access to monuments and tourist sites

Planning for wait times – This new French website – Affluences – shares in real time the wait times for more than 700 tourist and cultural sites in the Paris region, including the Louvre, Versailles and the Eiffel Tower. It also provides a forecast for the expected wait times throughout the day, as well as the operating hours of the site.

The platform, which partnered with the Paris tourism office, is available online and in app form. You can also see whether or not the site requires a reservation in advance, and it will offer links to take you to their official website.

The company Affluences has been equipping Paris’ major tourist sites with accurate accounts of crowds, to help them manage large flows of people for 10 years, but now their tool is available for the public online.

According to Le Parisien, the tourism company Atout France estimates that it has a 99 percent reliability rating.

Modified hours and disruption – Several popular tourist sites may have altered hours during the Games, and particularly during the Opening Ceremony (July 26th). It would be best to reserve any cultural activities in advance if possible.

As for the Eiffel Tower, despite being next to a venue, it will remain open during the Olympics period apart from the day of the Opening Ceremony (July 26th). However between July 18th and July 25th the Tower is in a security zone so you will require a QR code to enter – more info here. From July 27th onwards no QR code will be required for visitors – the Tower will be in a red zone, which has restrictions on vehicles, but which pedestrians can enter freely.

During the Olympic Games, the Louvre will remain open to visitors, except for July 25th and 26th. However, all visitors from July 1st to September 8th must book a ticket ahead of time. As for the Tuileries Garden, it will be closed on August 28th and throughout the Games it will be in a security zone, meaning vehicular traffic will be severely limited – although pedestrians can still access it.

You can find more info about Olympics related disruption/changes for the Louvre HERE.

When it comes to Versailles, the château, as well as the gardens, will remain open to the public throughout the Games, with normal visiting hours.

Special taxis

During the summer of 2024, the city of Paris will debut the ‘Taxi Seine Paris’, a new boat shuttle service launched on June 13th.

It can carry up to six passengers at a time and will cost €145 per trip, or divided by six, a little under €25 a person.

As of mid-June, there were only 10 Seine taxis, but there will likely be more to come. The taxis will allow passengers to go from the Eiffel Tower to the Louvre within 15 to 20 minutes.

The service can be booked online up to 24 hours in advance, and it will service two stops (the Louvre and Port de la Bourdonnais, just in front of the Eiffel Tower).

As for the flying taxis, there will be some test flights during the Olympic Games. However, they will not be available to the general public initially.

“If we see that they’re not effective and that they make too much noise, then we’ll draw conclusions,” France’s transport minister told AFP.

The vehicle – known as an eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) – is more of a small helicopter or even a large drone. It is four times quieter than a typical helicopter, according to Volocopter, and powered by an electric battery. The idea is that the devices will eventually operate like a shuttle service linking the city and its airports.

As for the regular taxis, these will of course be available, but you should read our tips to ensure you take an official taxi and avoid being overcharged. For people with disabilities, transport authorities have promised a fleet of at least 1,000 accessible taxis during the Olympic period.

QR codes and Olympics disruption

From Metro stops to areas around Games’ venues – several parts of the city will either be closed off or placed within a security zone during the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

In order to help people in Paris plan for disruption during the Games, the French government has created a website – called ‘Anticiper les jeux’.

It is filled with information – from setting up alerts for possible disruption to checking which Metro stations will be closed and planning your routes while travelling during the Games.

The most useful section is undoubtedly the interactive map which allows you to search for any disruption by area or by a specific Metro line or road. It will also show you whether the address you are looking to visit is within a security zone, in which case you may find yourself needing a QR code.

Increased pricing for transport

Those visiting during the Games will also pay a higher price for public transport.

Between July 20th and September 8th, the price of a single ticket – which can be used on the Metro, buses, RER trains or trams – will go up to €4, in contrast to the €2.15 it costs currently, and purchasing a 10 tickets at once (a carnet) will increase from €17.35 to €32 during the Games.

This does not affect residents with a travel pass or monthly card, or people who buy tickets in advance.

What’s on besides the Olympics?

Paris Plages

Each year, the city creates a seaside resort away from the ocean, with swimming areas, games and plenty of family-friendly activities. In 2024, the Paris Plages will be open from July 6 to September 8th, with some minor changes from previous years, namely the Canal Saint-Martin being the primary relaxation area.

The swimming area at La Villette basin, as well as the usual deckchairs and relaxation areas along the banks of the Seine, will open starting on July 27th, after the Opening Ceremony has concluded. The full programme will be available in the coming weeks on the Paris town hall website.

Exhibits

There are plenty to choose from, but we’ve picked three.

If you are in Paris at the start of the summer, you can visit the ‘Paris 1874, Inventer l’impressionnisme’ exhibit at the Musée d’Orsay, which celebrates 150 years of impressionism. It will remain open until July 14th. More info here.

There is also the ‘Paris!’ free exhibit at the Hôtel de Ville, which gives an overview of the city spanning its culture, major events, tragedies and everything else that makes up its identity. It will be available all summer long, though you should reserve ahead of time.

You might also consider another free exhibit – the ‘Stage Jewels of the Comédie Française’. This exhibit is hosted at the Hôtel de Mercy-Argenteau, located in the 9th arrondissement. You can admire all of the stage jewellery used by France’s best actors and actresses from the 18th century onwards. It will be open all summer, with normal operating hours.

Concerts

There are plenty of summer festivals and concerts across the country, but mark your calendar for the Rock en Seine festival from August 21-25, with artists like Lana Del Rey, LCD Soundsystem, PJ Harvey and more.

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