فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
Paris – Exclusive for Fès News
On Friday, October 24, 2025, the criminal court in Paris sentenced 27-year-old Algerian Zahbiya Ben Kered to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. She was convicted of involvement in the rape, torture, and murder of 12-year-old Lola Davier, in one of the most horrific crimes that shocked French public opinion. This sentence is the harshest ever handed down to a woman in French judicial history, known legally as “irreducible life imprisonment.”
Details of the Horrific Crime
The crime occurred on October 14, 2022, in a residential building northeast of Paris, where Lola’s parents worked as building caretakers. Ben Kered, born in Algeria, legally entered France in 2016 on a student visa before losing her legal status, becoming homeless, and resorting to prostitution. She partially lived with her sister in the same building. Investigations revealed that Ben Kered kidnapped Lola following a violent altercation with her former partner, “Mustafa M.,” driven by anger and a desire for revenge. Surveillance cameras captured her dragging the girl into her apartment.
Inside the apartment, Lola was subjected to horrific sexual and physical torture, including forced sexual assault, being slammed against the bathroom wall, strangling with adhesive tape, and stabbed multiple times with knives and scissors. The crime resulted in the girl’s death due to cardiorespiratory failure with signs of asphyxiation. Her dismembered body was found inside a plastic bag in the building’s lobby a few hours after her disappearance was reported. The lead judge described the crime as “true torture” marked by “extreme cruelty,” stressing it caused “unlimited suffering” to the victim’s family.
Trial and Historic Verdict
The trial lasted a full week. Psychologists confirmed that Ben Kered displayed psychopathic traits but was mentally competent at the time of the crime, with a high risk of relapse. The public prosecutor requested “irreducible life imprisonment,” citing the “extreme seriousness” of the crimes and their impact on the family. The court—comprising judges and a jury—endorsed this request, making Ben Kered the first woman in France to receive this punishment, previously imposed on criminals such as serial killer Michel Fourniret and terrorist Salah Abdeslam.
Before sentencing, Ben Kered expressed remorse, calling her crimes “horrific” and asking for forgiveness, but this did not affect the severity of her sentence.
Reactions and Social Implications
The victim’s mother, Delphine Davier, expressed relief, saying, “We believed in justice and now we have it.” Lola’s brother, Thibault Davier, thanked the judicial system for “restoring my sister’s memory and revealing the truth.” The crime triggered widespread national shock and sparked fierce debate on French immigration policies, especially after it emerged that Ben Kered had been ordered to leave French territory two months before the crime for overstaying her visa, but administrative delays prevented her departure. Right-wing and far-right politicians exploited the case to call for stricter immigration and deportation laws.
Call for Enhanced Monitoring and Prevention
The verdict highlights the importance of strengthening control over illegal immigration and providing psychological support to marginalized groups, while maintaining swift judicial procedures to protect society. The case of Lola Davier remains a symbol of collective pain in France and a reminder of the need for vigilance against social neglect.
