Dahbia Benkired, 27, an Algerian woman living in France, faces charges in Paris Assize Court over the death of Lola Daviet. The prosecution says Benkired brought the child into her home, then sexually assaulted and killed her; the accused gave testimony about the events during the hearings, per the Daily Mail.
Dahbia Benkired
Benkired told the court she had been arguing with an ex-partner and that, in the moment, “I said to myself in my head I'm going to hurt someone.” She said she asked Lola to open a door because she “didn't have a badge,” and later admitted she already had plans to harm the child. According to the accused, as she pulled the girl into an elevator, Lola begged, "Madam, please don't hurt me." Benkired said she replied, "Don't worry, I won't hurt you."
Medical testimony presented to jurors described severe injuries. The 12-year-old girl was "vaginally and anally penetrate" while she was still alive, according to the medical examiner's examinations.
A doctor said the girl suffered multiple stab and scissor wounds to her back and neck and died of asphyxia; examiners also reported traumatic injuries to the genital area. Court evidence showed Lola had suffered “hemorrhagic trauma” to several parts of her body and had sustained a large facial wound and a partially severed neck.
Benkired gave a graphic account of the violence, saying she “slammed her head against the shower wall with my hand” and later tied the body and placed it in a suitcase. She also said she wrote the numbers 0 and 1 on the child’s feet, and at one point claimed she perceived Lola as a “ghost.” Investigators have reported searches by the accused into witchcraft in the days before the killing, and that Benkired told police she feared a malevolent presence.
Family members left the courtroom when images of the injuries were shown. Jurors heard that Benkired had been homeless and reportedly working as a sex worker before the incident.
The accused denies some elements of the medical evidence but has admitted to parts of the sequence of events, telling the court, "Either way, I knew she was going to die." The trial is expected to conclude this week.
