Algerian woman jailed for life for murdering French schoolgirl

Dahbia Benkired, 27, Algerian national who overstayed a student visa and ignored a deportation notice, lured 12-year-old Lola Daviet into her sister’s Paris apartment in 2022. Benkired raped and tortured the schoolgirl, then killed her by binding her with duct tape until asphyxiation. The court convicted Benkired of murdering a minor and raping a minor with torture or barbaric acts, citing “extreme cruelty” and “true torture.” Three psychiatric experts identified psychopathic tendencies; no curable mental illness.

Benkired stuffed Lola’s body into a suitcase, wheeled it to a cafe, and told a customer she was “selling a kidney.” Prosecution demanded life imprisonment to protect society and prevent new offenses. Paris court imposed the full life term, the first ever for a woman in France. Presiding judge highlighted unspeakable psychological damage to Lola and her family. Benkired gave shifting motives: anger at Lola’s mother for denying an entry pass; searches on witchcraft and human sacrifice for wealth; possible revenge against an abusive ex-partner via heated texts that day. Trial described Lola as a “sacrificial lamb.”

Before sentencing, Benkired said, “I ask for forgiveness and what I did is horrible. That’s all I have to say.” Lola’s mother Delphine Daviet wept; brother Thibault stated, “We have restored the memory of my sister and her daughter, we have restored the truth.” Right-wing figures cited the murder as proof of immigration weakness, despite parental pleas against politicization. Benkired showed little emotion at verdict.