New chilling revelations have emerged in the case of 11-year-old Liana in France, as an official inspection report highlights serious failures in how authorities handled a grave complaint filed by a 10-year-old girl against Jerome Barelle—the main suspect in Liana’s murder.
Liana’s Death and Forensic Evidence
Liana was found dead on 4 June 2026 inside an abandoned rural silo in Pouy-Castel, a commune in the Gers department in southwestern France. A forensic examination confirmed she had suffered sexual assault before her death. DNA matching that of 41-year-old Jerome Barelle—identified as the prime suspect—was found on her genital organs, directly linking him to the crime.
A Child’s Terrifying Allegations
According to reports from BFM TV, the 10-year-old girl, named Rosa, told investigators she had been raped approximately 50 times by Barelle—the father of a friend. Her mother filed a formal complaint in August 2025. On 18 August, she took Rosa to Purpan Hospital in Toulouse. Medical staff immediately alerted police, and hospital leadership recognized the severity of the case upon hearing the child’s account.
Although the alleged assaults occurred in the town of Jers—within the jurisdiction of the Haute-Garonne department—the Toulouse public prosecutor’s office swiftly ordered multiple investigative steps. An official complaint was formally lodged on 22 August 2025 with the gendarmerie in Plaisance-du-Touch.
Swift but Inadequate Response?
The case was assigned to an experienced gendarmerie officer described in the report as ‘tested and skilled in handling such cases’. He told inspectors: ‘I immediately grasped the seriousness. For me, this was a priority case requiring urgent action.’ The report notes his ‘remarkable speed’: Rosa gave her testimony in a specially designated room for child victims on 27 August, and all required medical examinations and expert assessments were completed by 8 October.
Inspectors noted that ‘all actions and reports were finalized and incorporated into the file in under two months’—calling the pace ‘exemplary’. Yet during the investigation, it also emerged that Barelle was already known to judicial authorities: he had previously appeared in a May 2024 probe led by the gendarmerie in Fleurance, related to similar offenses.
On 10 October, the lead investigator recommended electronically transferring the case file to Jers to avoid delays—a move intended to streamline proceedings but raising questions about coordination across jurisdictions.