Paris has once again found itself shaken by a story that feels too horrifying to be true — the murder of 12-year-old Lola Daviet, a case that has haunted France since it first came to light in 2022.
This week, the trial of 27-year-old Algerian migrant Dahbia Benkired began in a Paris courtroom, reopening wounds for a family and a country still searching for answers.
Disturbing Footage Shown to the Court
The courtroom was left in shock as prosecutors presented CCTV footage capturing Benkired just hours after Lola’s death.
The video showed her sitting calmly at a bustling bar on Rue Manin, appearing relaxed and chatting with a man — while beside her lay a large suitcase that prosecutors allege contained the young girl’s body.
According to the footage, Benkired arrived at the restaurant carrying two smaller suitcases and one large trunk.
At one point, she even appeared to open the suitcase slightly, seemingly showing its contents to the man next to her.
The man glanced inside but quickly stood up, and it remains unclear whether he understood what he had seen.
A Brutal and Unimaginable Crime
Investigators say that on October 14, 2022, Benkired lured Lola into an apartment block where the girl’s mother worked as a caretaker.
The motive, prosecutors allege, was revenge — because Lola’s mother had refused to give her an access key to the building.
Inside the flat, Benkired allegedly tortured and killed the young girl in an act of unimaginable cruelty.
Reports state that Lola was forced to undress, wash herself, and perform a sex act before being brutally attacked with scissors and a box cutter.
Her body was bound tightly with duct tape — including over her face — leading to death by asphyxiation.
Medical reports later confirmed that Lola had been sexually assaulted and mutilated, with the court hearing that her head was partially severed.
The Aftermath of the Murder
After the killing, Benkired allegedly placed Lola’s body inside a plastic trunk and dragged it through the streets of Paris.
CCTV footage and witness statements described her struggling with the suitcase and covering it with a blanket.
At one point, when a passerby questioned what was inside, she reportedly said she was “selling a kidney.”
Later that night, a homeless man discovered the trunk around 11 p.m., uncovering a scene so horrific that even police officers were said to be shaken.
Heartbreak in the Courtroom
As the trial continued, graphic photographs of Lola’s body were shown to the court.
Her family — wearing white T-shirts with her picture and the words “You were the sun of our life, you will be the star of our nights” — could not bear to stay in the room.
They quietly left as the images appeared on screen.
Lola’s mother, Delphine Daviet, has demanded justice for her daughter, describing her as a bright and joyful child whose life was stolen far too soon.
Her brother, Thibault, also addressed the court, saying he wanted the accused to “tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth — to all of France and to us.”
Who Is Dahbia Benkired?
Benkired’s background paints a troubling picture. She arrived in France from Algeria in 2013, aged 14, after what she described as a difficult and abusive childhood.
In court, she claimed her aunts had mistreated her and even forced her to watch pornography as a child.
By 2022, she was homeless, unemployed, and under an expulsion order after overstaying her student visa.
Despite being ordered to return to Algeria that August, she remained in Paris illegally.
She told the court that she didn’t want to go back to Algeria because she “felt free in France,” saying, “In Algeria, we have no life.
I studied here, I grew up here, my whole family is here.”
After her parents’ deaths in 2019 and 2020, she said she suffered a mental breakdown, using heavy amounts of cannabis — “up to 20 joints a day,” she admitted — to cope.
A Nation Divided Over Immigration Laws
The case sparked intense political debate across France when it was revealed that Benkired had ignored her deportation order.
Conservative and far-right politicians quickly seized on the tragedy, arguing that it highlighted major flaws in France’s immigration system.
But as the political storm grew, Lola’s mother made a heartfelt plea — asking politicians not to exploit her daughter’s death for political gain.
A Moment of Remorse
Facing the Daviet family in court, Benkired appeared remorseful. “What I did was horrible,” she said quietly.
“I would like to ask the whole family for forgiveness. I regret it.”
Despite her apology, the pain in the courtroom was palpable.
The trial, which is expected to continue until next Friday, could see Benkired sentenced to life imprisonment if convicted.
Searching for Justice and Closure
For Lola’s family, the trial represents more than just a verdict — it’s about finally learning the truth behind a senseless act of violence that tore their world apart.
As Paris watches the case unfold, the nation is left confronting difficult questions — not only about justice and accountability but about compassion, safety, and the systems meant to protect its most innocent citizens.