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An Algerian woman, Dahbia Benkired, 27, was sentenced to life in prison by a Paris court for the rape, torture and murder of 12-year-old Lola Daviet, whose killing in 2022 shocked France. She becomes the first woman in France to receive life imprisonment. Daviet’s mutilated body was found in a plastic trunk outside their building; Benkired did not deny the crime but offered no explanation, and experts warned she remains dangerous. A tearful statement from Lola’s mother hailed the verdict, while right-wing figures, including Marine Le Pen, renewed attacks on deportation policy after it emerged she was undocumented.

Prepared by Emily Rhodes and reviewed by editorial team.