BFMTV police-justice journalist Maxime Brandstaetter interviewed one of the police officers from the 19th arrondissement of Paris who worked for the search for Lola, 12, when she was reported missing on October 14, 2022. He highlights the traumatic discovery for law enforcement who hoped to find the child alive, before the grisly discovery of her lifeless body hit them.
Friday October 14, not seeing their daughter being at home, the parents of Lola, 12, warn the police officers of the police station of the 19th arrondissement of Paris. As they are building caretakers, they had been able to see their child enter the building via CCTV images. The authorities then began their investigation. They find tape and a cutter: “We start to worry, we tell ourselves that we have to act quickly to find Lola“, says one of the police officers to BFMTV.
The police are quickly led to a young woman in possession of a large trunk where a body could be found. Then, a few hours later, a man calls to say that he has discovered a small body in a plastic trunk. “When we hear that on our radio waves, it’s a shock, our fears are crystallized. When you realize that you couldn’t save her, that’s the hardest part“, continues the policeman. He adds: “We listen to the description made by the colleagues who must have identified the corpse, but we don’t go so far as to look ourselves, we are too afraid of being shocked by what we are going to discover, we suspect that it is a horror.“A psychological cell was opened as in traumatic events for the police.”The policeman who thinks he doesn’t need it, he makes a big mistake“, declares the policeman still in shock.
The family does not want any political payback
The parents of young Lola called for the “dignity” and at “respect” before the funeral of the little girl on Monday October 24, in a press release relayed by the town hall of Lillers (Pas-de-Calais). “Lhe support of an entire population is a precious help in overcoming this painful ordeal. But we hope that those who come to lend their support“do it”without official scarves or particular sign of belonging to a political organization“, they add. The circumstances of Lola’s death and the profile of the alleged murderer, Dabhia, of Algerian nationality, provoked strong criticism from the right and the far right, who blamed the government for mismanagement of irregular immigration.
The funeral of the 12-year-old schoolgirl is scheduled for Monday at 2:30 p.m. in Lillers, the city of origin of her mother. They are “open to all those who wish to pay him a last tribute“, specify his parents, but “the burial in the cemetery will be done in the strictest privacy“. The ceremony will be celebrated by the bishop of Arras, Olivier Leborgne, at the Saint-Omer collegiate church, the communication from the diocese said on Thursday.
This Friday, a rally for “pay tribute to Lola” and “support family and loved ones“is planned in Fouquereuil, a commune in Béthunois where the girl’s father is from.”From now on, Lola’s parents have decided to leave Paris to return to live in Fouquereuil. Before their final return, this is an opportunity to come and show them all our compassion in these moments of great sorrow.“, writes on the website of this town of 1,600 inhabitants the mayor Gérard Ogiez.