The heartbroken father of 12-year-old Lola Daviet “died of grief” after his daughter was brutally kidnapped, raped, tortured, and beheaded in France by a sadistic Algerian migrant, her mother revealed in court.
Lola’s mutilated and partially decapitated body was discovered stuffed inside a suitcase in 2022 — a shocking crime that horrified France and fueled nationwide outrage over the country’s immigration policies.
Dhabia Benkired, 27, a prostitute from Algeria who had overstayed her French visa, was found guilty of the murder. On Friday, she received a life sentence with no possibility of parole — a rare punishment for a woman in France.
Lola’s mother, Delphine Daviet, told the court that her husband relapsed into alcoholism on the day their daughter’s body was discovered. “He drank from morning until night,” she said, adding that he later “died of grief.” Johan Daviet passed away in February 2024 at the age of 49.
At the time of the crime, Benkired was homeless and working as a prostitute, according to reports from the Daily Mail.
During the trial, jurors were shown deeply disturbing photos of Lola’s tortured remains — including injuries to her genitals and a gash across her face. Testimony revealed that Benkired lured the girl into her sister’s apartment after school, forced her to undress and bathe, and made her perform a sexual act before inflicting more violence.
She then stabbed Lola with scissors and covered her mouth with duct tape, suffocating her to death.
When Lola’s mother asked a forensic expert whether her daughter had suffered, the expert replied, “She undoubtedly suffered.”
After the killing, Benkired stuffed Lola’s body into a black plastic suitcase, dragged it through the neighborhood, and abandoned it in the apartment building’s lobby. A homeless man later found the suitcase and alerted authorities.
Investigators noted that the numbers ‘1’ and ‘0’ were mysteriously written on Lola’s feet.
In court, Delphine referred to her daughter’s murderer as “this thing, this monster,” asking through tears, “Why did Lola follow her?”
Prosecutors argued that Benkired’s motive was revenge against Lola’s parents, who had refused to give her a key to the Paris apartment complex they managed.
Before his death, Lola’s father had written an emotional letter, which he placed on Benkired’s apartment door:
“My darling, I still don’t understand why there was so much cruelty and barbarity towards you, you who were so kind.”
During the trial, Benkired expressed remorse, saying, “I would like to ask the whole family for forgiveness. What I did was horrible, and I regret it,” according to Le Parisien.
The gruesome case ignited protests across France, with many demanding tougher immigration controls after it emerged that Benkired had been ordered to leave the country just two months before the murder.
“Lola lost her life because you didn’t expel this national,” said Republican MP Éric Pauget, addressing the justice minister.
Lola’s mother and brother fought for a life sentence, and according to the family’s lawyer, they were satisfied with the verdict.
“The court considered the unimaginable psychological trauma inflicted upon the victim and her family in such brutal and incomprehensible circumstances,” the judge stated after delivering the sentence.
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