The murdered French woman, Lola, was buried in private this afternoon in the town of Lillers, near the Belgian border. The service before her funeral was public. Hundreds of people listened to the mass inside the church or outside over loudspeakers. French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin was also present at the funeral.

The girl disappeared in Paris on Friday afternoon, October 14, after returning home from school. That same evening she was found dead in a plastic suitcase and with injuries to her neck. 24-year-old Dahbia B. is in custody on suspicion of the murder of a minor, rape and torture.

At today’s funeral, Lola’s brother said he felt he and his sister “couldn’t do anything together”. He continued: “It happened so quickly. I couldn’t tell you how much I loved you.”

“Respect and Dignity”

Ahead of the funeral, 12-year-old Lola’s parents referred to the demonstrations held last week after their daughter’s death. Far-right politicians used the background of suspect Dahbia B. – an undocumented Algerian – to call for tougher immigration policies.

The parents asked the mourners to commemorate their daughter “with respect and dignity”. “We hope that those who come to show their support will do so without any sign of membership in any political organization,” French media quoted the parents as saying. The parents also reiterated their request not to use Lola’s portrait and name for political purposes.

At the funeral, people carried white balloons with the name Lola:

Former presidential candidate Éric Zemmour previously cited Lola’s murder as an example of “Frankoccide,” a term for saying that French people are killed just because they are French. And right-wing politician Alexis Jolly spoke of the murder of a “French, white, Christian girl.”

The far-right Marine Le Pen demanded “answers” from the government. Right-wing groups have organized protests in several French cities in recent days. Zemmour attended one such protest in Paris, with some protesters carrying placards with a photo of Lola.

The child’s parents have repeatedly stated that they do not want her name and portrait to be used in political statements such as demonstrations. So they repeated that message leading up to the funeral.

President Macron previously said the girl’s family now needs “the respect and affection of the nation.”