A convicted murderer who sexually assaulted and tortured a young girl before murdering her confessed in court, delivering a chilling admission.
Dahbia Benkired, aged 27, has received a historic whole-life sentence in France for the brutal killing of Lola Daviet. Benkired placed Lola’s lifeless body inside a suitcase and left it in the entrance of the apartment building where the victim resided with her family in 2022. During the trial that has captivated France, Benkired made a gruesome confession that led to the rare imposition of a whole-life prison term.
Lola’s mother, Delphine, recounted to the court how her daughter returned home to eat on October 14, 2022, before leaving again. Delphine shared her final words to her daughter, saying, “I kissed her and said ‘see you later’.”
Benkired encountered Lola outside her apartment complex in northeastern Paris. Benkired, who had left her sister’s residence with two suitcases after a dispute with her partner that morning, approached Lola. The murderer revealed to the court that she had the intention of harming someone when she saw Lola. Benkired requested Lola’s assistance in carrying the suitcases into a building, and the victim agreed, despite initial hesitation due to her parents’ warnings about helping strangers.
Once inside an apartment, Benkired subjected Lola to a horrific attack lasting an hour and a half, involving sexual assault, torture, suffocation by taping her mouth, leading to her death.
In a shocking revelation to the courtroom, Benkired admitted, “I sought retribution against the young girl. She was weaker than me. It was a sudden decision, not a choice.” She further stated, “Having assaulted her, I decided to end her life.”
Lola’s mother emphasized her constant advice to her children about being cautious of strangers and shouting for help if attacked, expressing her regret at not being able to save Lola and the eternal pain in her heart.
The Algerian immigrant Benkired, who had violated her student visa by overstaying, was described by France’s Attorney General as preying on the victim for personal gratification and sexual satisfaction. The judge, in delivering the verdict, characterized Benkired’s actions as extreme torture.
The court, considering the profound psychological trauma inflicted on the victim and her family under such appalling circumstances, imposed the severe sentence.
Following the sentencing, Delphine expressed satisfaction, stating, “We had faith in the judicial system, and justice has been served.” Lola’s brother added, “We have honored my sister’s memory and revealed the truth.”
At Reach and across our entities we and our partners use information collected through cookies and other identifiers from your device to improve experience on our site, analyse how it is used and to show personalised advertising. You can opt out of the sale or sharing of your data, at any time clicking the “Do Not Sell or Share my Data” button at