Wife of Lyhanna murder suspect Jérôme Barella files rape and domestic violence complaint, a prosecutor says
The wife of Jérôme Barella, already accused of raping and murdering 11-year-old Lyhanna in southwestern France, has filed a complaint for spousal rape and domestic violence, the Auch prosecutor said on Saturday.
New complaint from within the suspect's home
The wife of Jérôme Barella, and mother of their two daughters aged seven and 11, was heard by investigators from the Toulouse research section on 18 June. She has now formally accused him of rape and conjugal violence, the prosecutor of Auch, Clémence Meyer, confirmed in a press release on 27 June. The complaint adds another dimension to a case that has gripped France for weeks.
Barella, a 41-year-old temporary worker, is already in custody at Mont-de-Marsan prison in solitary confinement. He was initially charged with kidnapping and false imprisonment after Lyhanna's body was found on 4 June in the Gers department, several days after she went missing. After an autopsy determined the girl had been raped, the charges were upgraded to murder and rape of a minor.
The Lyhanna case and the earlier warnings
Lyhanna, 11, was discovered dead on 4 June. The autopsy could not establish her exact cause of death "with certainty", according to the Agen prosecutor's office. Before his arrest, Barella had never been detained or summoned despite several complaints and reports of sexual violence against other minors.
A report published on 22 June by the head of the General Inspectorate of Justice described multiple "failures" and "wasted time" in handling previous complaints. One of the most shocking involves Rosa, another 11-year-old, who told investigators she had been raped around fifty times by Barella between September 2024 and April 2025. Her complaint was filed in August 2025, more than nine months before Lyhanna died. Barella had also been the subject of complaints for rape of minors in 2022 and 2025, yet his criminal record shows no convictions.
- First complaints for rape of minors filed against Jérôme Barella (exact date not specified, year 2022).
- Rosa, 11, files a rape complaint after alleging around 50 assaults between September 2024 and April 2025.
- Lyhanna, 11, found dead in the Gers department several days after her disappearance; Barella is charged with kidnapping and false imprisonment.
- Barella's wife heard by Toulouse gendarmes and files a complaint for spousal rape and domestic violence.
- General Inspectorate of Justice report highlights 'failures' and 'wasted time' in the handling of prior complaints against Barella.
- The complaint by Barella's wife becomes public; Rosa's investigation transferred to Agen branch of Bordeaux research section.
- Auch prosecutor Clémence Meyer confirms the wife's complaint in a press release.
Rosa's complaint transferred after suspected failings
The investigation into Rosa's rape complaint has now been moved to the Agen branch of the Bordeaux research section. The decision follows an inspection that found possible shortcomings by the gendarmerie in Condom, Gers, in the initial handling of the case. A source close to the investigation confirmed that the Bordeaux research section officers are now mobilised on the matter.
Wider family accused
Parallel to the proceedings against Jérôme Barella, his brother and father are also implicated in separate paedocriminality or spousal rape cases. Yannick, the brother, in his forties and unemployed, has been charged with rape of a minor and spousal rape and placed under judicial supervision. Their father, 71, a former building tradesman, faces reopened investigations into similar crimes.
Public anger over the judicial failures has led to large protests across France, with crowds demanding accountability and a better response to sexual violence against children.
