Dahbia Benkired sentenced to life without parole in 2022 killing of Paris schoolgirl Lola

A Paris court on Friday, October 24, 2025, sentenced Dahbia Benkired, 27, to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for the rape, torture, and murder of 12-year-old Lola Daviet in October 2022. The ruling applies France’s harshest penalty—“réclusion criminelle à perpétuité incompressible”—and marks the first time a woman has received this sentence under modern French criminal law.

The verdict and its significance

Jurors and judges at the Paris criminal court found Benkired guilty on all counts, concluding a high-intensity trial that revisited one of the most shocking crimes to confront the country in recent years. The court’s decision reflected the gravity of the acts: the abduction of a child within her own apartment building, sexual assault accompanied by acts of torture and barbarity, and an attempt to dispose of the body in a suitcase later discovered near the scene.

The sentence means the defendant faces a whole-life term. In practice, French law provides only exceptional, narrowly defined avenues for any future reduction—such as compassionate grounds or a presidential measure—none of which create a routine path to release.

What “life without parole” means in France

• Perpetuity without reduction: The sentence is designed to be served in full.

• Exceptional relief only: Any modification would require extraordinary circumstances and judicial approval; there is no standard parole timetable.

• Rarity: While life terms exist in France, the “incompressible” version is reserved for the most egregious crimes (e.g., killings involving torture of a minor).

How the case unfolded

• October 14, 2022: Lola, 12, is reported missing in the 19th arrondissement of Paris. Her body is later found in a trunk near the building where her family lived and worked.

• October 2022: Benkired is arrested and charged with murder of a minor under 15, rape, and acts of torture and barbarity.

• Pre-trial period: Forensic work, video evidence, and witness statements are compiled; psychiatric assessments declare the defendant fit to stand trial.

• October 17, 2025: Trial opens in Paris. Over several days, jurors hear graphic testimony from investigators, medical experts, and the victim’s family.

• October 24, 2025: Guilty verdict and life-without-parole sentence are delivered.

Inside the courtroom: evidence and testimony

During the proceedings, prosecutors presented surveillance footage tracing the movements inside and around the building, forensic findings documenting extensive injuries, and accounts that reconstructed the timeline leading to Lola’s death. Expert witnesses detailed the suffering inflicted, while psychiatric evaluators addressed the defendant’s mental state and criminal responsibility. The defense challenged elements of premeditation and sought to contextualize the defendant’s behavior, but the jury accepted the prosecution’s case on all principal charges.

A crime that reverberated beyond the courtroom

The killing sparked a nationwide outpouring of grief and anger in 2022. Public debate quickly widened to questions of child protection, policing, and migration enforcement, given that Benkired had previously received an administrative order to leave French territory. Lola’s family repeatedly called for their daughter’s memory to be honored without political exploitation, a plea often echoed during anniversary vigils and at the trial.

What happens next: appeals and civil judgments

• Appeal window: Under French procedure, the defense may appeal the conviction and sentence to a higher assize court within the statutory deadline following Friday’s verdict.

• Civil damages: The court also addressed civil claims from the family; any appeal would reopen those questions.

• Detention: Benkired remains incarcerated in a high-security facility as the sentence takes effect.

Why this case will be studied for years

Beyond its devastating human toll, the case will be scrutinized in law schools and policy circles for its intersections of forensic evidence, victim protection, criminal responsibility, and sentencing doctrine. The application of an “incompressible” life term to a female offender—rare in France—underscores how sentencing frameworks adapt to especially brutal crimes regardless of gender or background.

Key facts at a glance

• Defendant: Dahbia Benkired, 27

• Victim: Lola Daviet, 12

• Crime date/location: October 14, 2022 — Paris, 19th arrondissement

• Charges: Murder of a minor under 15; rape; acts of torture and barbarity

• Verdict date: October 24, 2025

• Sentence: Life imprisonment without parole (“réclusion criminelle à perpétuité incompressible”)

• Next steps: Potential appeal within the legal deadline

As the legal chapter closes—pending any appeal—the focus remains on a grieving family and a community that has carried Lola’s memory through three years of mourning and, now, resolution in the courts.