A leak of criminal records has ignited a political firestorm in France. The suspect in the murder of a 12-year-old girl, whose name has not been released, was previously convicted of sexual assault. The document, obtained by Le Monde, shows the suspect was sentenced to three years in 2019 but released early.
Sources confirm the leak came from a disillusioned police officer. The government is in chaos. The Minister of Justice, Eric Dupond-Moretti, faced a hostile session in the National Assembly this afternoon.
'This is an institutional failure,' he conceded. But opposition MPs are calling for his resignation. The far-right has seized the moment, with Marine Le Pen demanding a referendum on immigration.
The suspect is an Algerian national, legally residing in France. The murder occurred in a quiet suburb of Lyon. The victim, identified as Camille, was abducted on her way home from school.
Her body was found in a forest 24 hours later. The police have been criticised for not flagging the suspect's record. 'Red flags were ignored,' a source inside the ministry told me.
'This is a system that protects criminals, not children.' The leak itself is a crime. But many see it as an act of desperation.
The officer who leaked the file is now in custody. 'He did what the system wouldn't,' said a colleague. The Elysée Palace has remained silent.
President Macron is expected to address the nation tonight. This is not just a scandal. It is a reckoning.
The French public is demanding answers. And they are not satisfied with platitudes. The question now is how deep the rot goes.
Follow the money. Someone covered this up. And they are still in power.
