Case summary

Lola Daviet was a twelve-year-old girl who lived with her family in the 19th arrondissement of Paris. On October 14, 2022, she disappeared after returning home from school. Surveillance cameras captured her entering her apartment building together with an unknown adult woman. Lola was never seen leaving the building again.

Later that evening, her body was found concealed in a plastic container in the building's basement. The investigation quickly identified the woman seen on camera as Dahbia Benkired, who had access to the building through a relative. She was arrested the same night and confessed to killing Lola. A forensic examination showed that Lola had been subjected to extreme violence and that the murder had taken place indoors before her body was moved.

Despite evidence of severe mental illness, psychiatric experts concluded that the perpetrator was criminally responsible. Dahbia Benkired was convicted of murder of a minor with torture and barbaric violence and sentenced to life imprisonment. The case deeply shocked France and raised serious questions about safety in residential buildings and the handling of individuals with severe psychiatric disorders.

Lola Daviet – Murder of a 12-Year-Old Girl in Paris

Who Was Lola Daviet

Lola Daviet was a twelve-year-old girl living with her family in an apartment building on Rue Manin in the 19th arrondissement of Paris, near the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont. The area is a densely populated residential neighborhood with schools, local shops, and multi-story buildings where families have lived for generations.

The building was a typical Parisian residential house, with an inner courtyard, stairwells, and shared basement storage areas.

Lola attended Collège Georges Brassens, located just a few blocks away. Every day she walked to and from school along the same route. It was a familiar neighborhood, a routine return home.

Nothing in her daily life stood out as unusual.

Friday, October 14, 2022

On Friday, October 14, 2022, Lola finished school in the afternoon and headed home, as she always did. It was still daylight. The streets were busy. Traffic was heavy.

Nothing in her behavior suggested stress or fear. She was simply on her way home.

Surveillance cameras at the entrance of her apartment building captured her arrival. She was not alone. An adult woman entered the building with her.

The woman was not known to Lola's family. She was not a neighbor, not a friend, not a relative.

They were seen passing through the gate, the intercom area, and into the stairwell.

This is the last confirmed sighting of Lola Daviet alive.

From Disappearance to Murder Investigation

Immediate Response

When Lola did not come up to the apartment, her family reacted immediately. This was not normal behavior for her. Lola usually came home directly and checked in.

Her parents began searching the building. They checked the stairwells, basement storage areas, garbage rooms, and corridors. They called out her name and searched the common areas.

At the same time, the police were contacted.

A full search operation was launched inside the building. The stairwells and basement were searched thoroughly. No trace of Lola was found.

There was nothing to indicate that she had left the building again.

Surveillance footage confirmed what was already suspected: she went in, but never came out.

Reviewing the Surveillance Cameras

Throughout the evening, police continued searching in and around the property. Residents were interviewed, access points checked, and camera footage secured.

Nothing suggested an accident or that Lola had left voluntarily.

Police methodically searched common areas, storage units, technical rooms, and garbage areas. The building had multiple underground levels and spaces rarely used by residents.

At the same time, they reviewed surveillance footage from the surrounding area.

They saw the unknown woman leaving the building later that afternoon, carrying a plastic container — the same one later found in the garbage room.

She moved openly through the neighborhood. No one stopped her. No one reacted.

Cameras followed her as she walked, stopped, put the container down, adjusted her grip, and continued.

Three Key Findings

From the footage, police established three crucial facts:

• Lola followed the woman into the building voluntarily

• The crime occurred inside the building

• The woman on camera was the one who carried the body out

The investigation entered a new phase. This was no longer a disappearance case, but a homicide investigation focused on identifying the woman.

Identifying the Suspect

Once the basement areas were sealed off, investigators focused entirely on the surveillance material.

Lola was clearly seen entering with the unknown woman. The woman moved confidently, without hesitation, as if familiar with the building.

Police gathered additional camera footage and reconstructed her movements, both before and after leaving the building.

They reviewed housing records and access lists: who lived there, who had keys, and who could move freely without raising suspicion.

It became clear that the woman was not registered at the address. However, a connection emerged: a resident in the building had a sister who had recently arrived in Paris. The name, age, and images matched.

Arrest and Confession

Police tracked the woman using public transport cameras. She moved west through the city, toward the Bois de Boulogne.

Only hours after the discovery in the basement, she was located and arrested without resistance. She was alone and carrying nothing notable.

In custody, confronted with the images, the timeline, and the plastic container, she did not deny it.

Her answers were incoherent. She spoke mostly about herself and her problems, avoiding direct questions.

Eventually, she said that the girl had been in her apartment. She admitted killing her — calmly, without visible emotion.

Forensics, Trial, and Verdict

The Forensic Investigation

An autopsy was carried out that same weekend. The forensic pathologists documented the injuries methodically.

The findings revealed extreme violence: signs of strangulation, blunt force trauma, and wounds inflicted after death.

The cause of death was determined to be asphyxiation.

There were no signs that Lola died in the basement. Blood patterns and injuries confirmed that the murder occurred indoors and that her body was moved afterward.

The apartment where the woman had been staying was examined. Biological evidence, objects, and clothing were seized and analyzed.

A detailed timeline emerged.

Charges and Psychiatric Evaluations

The prosecutor announced charges including murder of a minor, torture, barbaric violence, and unlawful imprisonment.

Two independent psychiatric experts evaluated the suspect.

They found that she suffered from severe mental illness, including delusions and fragmented thinking.

However, they concluded that she understood her actions and had control over her behavior. She was therefore considered criminally responsible.

This meant she could stand trial and be convicted.

The Trial at the Paris Criminal Court

The case was heard in the Paris Cour d'Assises.

The question was not whether she committed the crime — she had confessed — but how, why, and in what mental state.

Security was high. The courtroom was full.

The prosecutor presented the timeline step by step, supported by technical evidence, images, timestamps, and witness statements.

The defense emphasized her mental illness. The prosecution highlighted her actions before and after the crime: planning, movement, concealment, and deliberate behavior.

Psychiatrists testified that she was mentally ill but still capable of organized, purposeful action.

Dahbia Benkired

The defendant was Dahbia Benkired, 24 years old at the time of trial. Born in Algeria, she came to France as a child.

Her life had been marked by instability, psychiatric hospitalizations, and lack of permanent housing or employment.

She had access to the building through her sister, who lived there.

There was no known prior connection between her and Lola or her family.

Verdict and Sentence

The court found her guilty of the murder of a minor with torture and barbaric violence, unlawful imprisonment, and desecration of a corpse.

Despite her mental illness, she was ruled criminally responsible.

She was sentenced to life imprisonment.

She showed no visible reaction when the sentence was read.

Aftermath

She was transferred to a high-security prison with psychiatric supervision.

Her sister was cleared of involvement.

Later, Lola's father died of a heart attack, possibly linked to the trauma following his daughter's murder.

Conclusion

Lola Daviet was twelve years old.
She walked home from school in a neighborhood she knew.
She never made it upstairs.

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