Woman Sentenced to Irreducible Life in France

A French court handed 27-year-old Algerian national Dahbia Benkired an irreducible life sentence for the rape, torture and murder of 12-year-old Lola Daviet in Paris in October 2022. Lola’s body was found stuffed in a trunk in the lobby of the building where her parents worked as caretakers, and CCTV showed Benkired meeting the child and later leaving with suitcases that included the trunk. Prosecutors and the judge described the acts as extreme cruelty involving “true torture” and “total dehumanisation,” and psychiatric experts concluded Benkired showed psychopathic tendencies but was fit to stand trial. The case sparked intense anti‑immigration and far‑right criticism after authorities said Benkired had overstayed a student visa and been ordered to leave France, and Lola’s family said the ruling restored their daughter’s memory. The irreducible sentence bars parole or reduction, though French law allows a convicted person to request a review after 30 years.