Dahbia Benkired on Trial in Paris for the Rape, Torture and Murder of 12-Year-Old Lola Daviet

Dahbia Benkired on Trial in Paris for the Rape, Torture and Murder of 12-Year-Old Lola Daviet

Introduction

Dahbia Benkired is a 27-year-old Algerian national standing trial in France for one of the most shocking crimes in recent years: the abduction, rape, torture and murder of a 12-year-old girl, Lola Daviet, in Paris in October 2022. RFI+3Wikipedia+3Le Monde.fr+3
Her case has stirred public outrage, political debate on migration and public safety, as well as deep questions about mental health, social vulnerability and justice.

Background & personal history

Benkired was born in Algeria and came to France in 2016 on a student visa. Wikipedia+1
Over the years, she faced multiple hardships: she lost her father in 2019 and her mother in 2020. Wikipedia+1
By the time of the crime, she was living in precarious conditions: no stable job or housing, and in irregular immigration status. Wikipedia+1
A key factor in the case is that she was under an “Obligation to Leave French Territory” (OQTF) at the time of the crime due to her irregular status. Wikipedia+2www.ndtv.com+2
Some reports also mention past personal trauma, drug use and mental distress in her history. For example, she claimed earlier abuse and addiction. Wikipedia+1

The crime & investigation

On October 14, 2022, Lola Daviet, a 12-year-old girl, returned from school in Paris and went missing. Her body was discovered later in a trunk in the building where her parents worked as caretakers. Wikipedia+1
CCTV footage indicated Benkired entering the building with the child, and later carrying heavy luggage/trunk. Le Monde.fr+2www.ndtv.com+2
According to investigators, the death involved extreme violence: signs of suffocation, slashed throat, mutilation, and the numbers “1” and “0” written on the victim’s feet. Wikipedia+1
The investigation swiftly linked Benkired to the crime. She was arrested and charged with murder of a minor, rape, torture and hiding a corpse. Wikipedia+1

Trial & current status

Benkired’s trial began in October 2025 in Paris. Le Monde.fr+1
She has admitted to the crime in court and expressed remorse. www.ndtv.com+1
Psychiatric experts have examined her: she was found to be responsible under French law, meaning she is fit to stand trial and her discernment was judged intact despite signs of mental distress. Wikipedia
A major point of controversy: because she was under the OQTF, her presence in France and retention within the country despite the order has become a flash point in debates on immigration policy. Wikipedia

Key themes and implications

Vulnerability and social precarity

Benkired’s background reflects a trajectory of vulnerability—immigration status, loss of family, possible trauma, homelessness and erratic behaviour. This raises questions about how social services, immigration enforcement and mental-health supports intersect.

Crime, violence and public shock

The brutality of the crime—against a child, with torture and barbaric elements—triggered intense public shock in France and media attention internationally. The case became emblematic of deep anxieties about safety in urban spaces and children’s vulnerability.

Immigration and political reaction

Because Benkired was an undocumented migrant with a pending deportation order, the case fed into political discourse in France around immigration control, border policies, and the capacity of the state to enforce orders of departure. Some right-wing and far-right actors used it to argue for stricter immigration measures. Wikipedia

Mental health, responsibility and justice

The case also raises complex issues: how to assess mental health in perpetrators; what constitutes full responsibility; how criminal justice systems handle individuals with trauma backgrounds; how to balance societal protection and individual rehabilitation.

Current outlook

The trial is expected to reach a verdict in the near future (within the scheduled six days of hearings) and Benkired faces a possible life sentence if convicted. People.com
Meanwhile, the victim’s family has publicly asked that their daughter’s memory not be exploited politically. www.ndtv.com+1

Conclusion

The story of Dahbia Benkired is a tragic convergence of multiple failures: a child’s life ended violently, a disturbed adult whose descent into vulnerability escalated into horror, and a wider social context where immigration policy, social care, mental-health services and criminal justice intersect.
Whatever the outcome of the trial, the case will likely have lasting implications for how French society grapples with issues of protection, inclusion, responsibility and prevention.

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