Overview
- Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin sent a 12‑page note in late July that compiled parquet généraux reports and accused police of systemic failures in investigations of sexual violence against children following the Lyhanna case.
- Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said on Thursday he contested several figures in the note and has tasked his teams with verifying the data, with special scrutiny of the prosecutors' claim of a large 'stock fantôme' of dossiers not transmitted to justice.
- Police investigators, senior officers and unions reacted with anger, saying the public criticism will demoralize staff and make it harder to relaunch sensitive inquiries already stretched by heavy caseloads.
- Darmanin had proposed a joint meeting for 3 September to begin shared work between the two ministries but the appointment did not appear on official agendas and Place Vendôme indicated it was postponed.
- Coverage and unions point to deeper, long‑running problems—outdated digital tools, complex criminal procedure, limited training and staffing—and cite a two‑year‑old estimate of roughly three million untreated dossiers as a backdrop that makes quick fixes unlikely.