Paris court hands Dahbia Benkired irreducible life in Lola Daviet

A Paris court on Friday sentenced 27-year-old Dahbia Benkired to irreducible life imprisonment without parole for the 2022 rape, torture and murder of 12-year-old Lola Daviet, whose body was found in a trunk in the lobby of the building where her parents worked as caretakers. Prosecutors said the sentence reflects the severity of crimes that stunned France and caused prolonged distress to the victim's family.

Investigators and medical examiners described a sustained, violent attack after Benkired allegedly lured Lola into an apartment in the city's 19th arrondissement. Court testimony and forensic reports said the girl was sexually assaulted, cut with scissors and a box cutter, bound with duct tape, and died of asphyxia. Examiners reported multiple wounds and sexual penetration while the victim was alive. Benkired has acknowledged killing Lola and apologized in court, telling the family "What I did was horrible. I regret it."

Evidence presented at the Assize Court included surveillance footage that prosecutors say captures Benkired meeting the girl as she returned from school and later leaving the building carrying suitcases and a large trunk. Video shown to the jury also...