Protests continue in France over the death of 11-year-old Liana, writes BFMTV. The girl disappeared without a trace on May 29 from Florence and her body was found on June 4 in an abandoned agricultural site. In connection with the child's death, 41-year-old Jerome Barella was detained, against whom reports of assault and rape of underage girls had been filed in the past, which did not lead to an arrest or conviction, BTA reported.
Yesterday, Barella's brother was also sent to custody, against whom there is a complaint of assaults against his girlfriend for 10 years.
The autopsy of Liana's body did not reveal what caused the child's death. Further analyses are being conducted.
On Sunday, a procession of thousands of people took place in Florence in memory of the girl and as a sign of protest against the country's justice system.
Yesterday, there was a protest in front of the prosecutor's office in the city of Ochs, which has been notified over the years of alleged abuses committed by Jérôme Barella, but which is believed to have been insufficiently effective. During the protest, a demonstrator climbed onto the statue of Themis in front of the prosecutor's office building and blindfolded her with a white cloth, then placed a pink toy at its foot, and attached a sign to the statue's hand that read "Anatomy of a Murderous Silence", under which Liana's name was written, BFM TV and "Radio Hit FM" reported.
Yesterday, there was also a protest in Paris in front of the Ministry of Justice. Activists from the feminist movement “Femen” joined in. They had written on their chests and on posters "The Liana case is a state issue" and "You are burying our complaints and our children". The protest also included the daughter of Giselle Pellico, the French woman who was drugged by her husband for ten years to be raped by unknown men he recruited on the Internet and who has become an icon of the fight against violence against women and girls in France.
Yesterday, French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said that 70,000 complaints and reports of abuse of minors in the country would be reviewed.
At the end of last week, French President Emmanuel Macron assured that those suspected of not having acted in a way that would prevent Liana's death would be held accountable.
The case with the child comes at a time when France is also shaken by the accusations of a number of women against singer Patrick Bruel. He was arrested yesterday, and his tours, shows and other appearances have been canceled recently due to sexual assault allegations against him.