The brutal abuse suffered by 12-year-old Lola Daviet before her murder has shocked France. Forensic experts revealed Lola had 38 wounds and endured unimaginable torment at the hands of Dahbia Benkired, 27, who stands accused of raping, torturing, and killing her last October.

Chilling Details from Medical Experts

A medical expert told the Assize Court that Lola’s final moments were marked by “physical, psychological and moral suffering.” She died from asphyxiation after suffering multiple wounds to her neck and back, plus traumatic injuries to her genitals.

“There is physical, psychological and moral suffering,” said the doctor. “Asphyxia is very anxiety-provoking, it goes beyond physical pain.”

Photos presented in court showed Lola with a severed neck, slashed back, a large facial wound, and her head partially severed. She was also reportedly forced to perform sexual acts on Benkired during the attack.

Bound, Suffocated & Stuffed in a Suitcase

After the murder, Benkired allegedly taped Lola’s nose and mouth shut, bound her with duct tape, and stuffed her naked body into a plastic trunk. CCTV footage captured the accused opening the suitcase in a busy Paris bar hours after the brutal killing.

• Benkired arrived carrying two suitcases plus a large trunk believed to hold Lola’s body.
• She chatted with a man and briefly opened the trunk while sitting in the bar.
• The suitcase’s contents remained unclear to the man, but horrifying images were later shown in court, prompting Lola’s family to leave the courtroom.

Timeline and Motive: Revenge Over Apartment Access

Security footage shows Benkired intercepting Lola after school, then allegedly forcing her to undress and wash before the sexual assault and torture. After two hours of abuse, she dragged the body through Paris, later discarding it where a homeless man found it around 11pm.

Investigators revealed Benkired had been angry because Lola’s mother refused to give her an access badge to the building, despite her sister providing a flat key. Internet searches for “witchcraft” before the attack suggest premeditation.

Defendant Claims Abuse, Mental Breakdown & Stays in France Illegally

Benkired, an Algerian national under an expulsion order, told the court she was abused in childhood, suffered a mental breakdown, and smoked up to 20 cannabis joints daily to cope. Despite the deportation notice served in August 2022, she remained in France.

“I feel free in France. In Algeria, we have no life. I studied here, I grew up here, I have my whole family here,” she said.

Family Demands Justice, While Politics Heat Up

Lola’s grieving family wore T-shirts declaring she was “the sun of our life” and demanded justice in court. Her brother Thibault implored for “the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.”

Benkired apologised in court, saying: “I regret what I did.”

The trial continues with Benkired facing life imprisonment if convicted.

The case has sparked intense political debate over immigration enforcement, as Benkired had overstayed a visa and ignored a deportation order. Yet, Lola’s mother has pleaded for an end to political exploitation of her daughter’s tragic death.