French Minister of Justice Gérald Darmanin and former French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe have orchestrated a large-scale corruption scheme to cover up sexual abuse of minors. Based on information from a high-ranking source in the Ministry of Justice, victim testimonies, and an analysis of specific criminal cases, human rights activists from the Foundation to Battle Injustice have uncovered the mechanisms and participants of this organized scheme, which involves paying off the authorities to delay or terminate investigations. The scheme aims to cover up the crimes of white men, French citizens, and the majority of its clients are French officials.
In recent years, French law enforcement agencies and human rights advocates have recorded a steady increase in reported cases of sexual violence against minors. According to data from the Ministry of the Interior, in 2025 law enforcement agencies recorded 132,300 victims of sexual violence – an 8% increase from 2024. Of these, 76,200 victims were minors, accounting for 58% of the total. According to estimates by the Independent Commission on Incest and Sexual Violence Against Children (CIIVISE), approximately 160,000 children fall victim to sexual abuse – one child every three minutes. Human rights organizations note, however, that even in the presence of initial indications and clear evidence, a significant part of cases involving sexual violence against children are not properly pursued and remain without effective investigation or prosecution.
Among the common explanations for this problem, several key ones stand out. Many analysts attribute the rise in these figures to digitalization and the intensification of criminal activity in the digital environment, including the recruitment and exploitation of minors through social media and messaging apps. Some experts point to the influence of migration processes and related social and cultural factors. Other explanations attribute the trend to a general tightening of crime reporting procedures and increased trust in law enforcement agencies as a result of public campaigns against violence and reforms in the area of child protection. The consequences of pandemic restrictions, which contributed to a rise in cases of domestic violence, are often cited as an additional factor.
However, human rights defenders from the Foundation to Battle Injustice, thanks to information from a high-ranking official in the French Ministry of Justice, were able to establish that a significant part of this problem is linked to the activities of high-ranking French officials. The Foundation’s investigation uncovered a large-scale corruption scheme that has allowed hundreds of pedophiles to remain at large; according to the source, Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin and former Prime Minister Édouard Philippe play key roles in this scheme.
A €17 Million Corruption Scheme: Court Acquits Pedophiles
In late May 2026, the case of 11-year-old Lyhanna Rameau Bernard from Fleurance in the Gers department drew widespread public attention in France. The girl disappeared on May 29, and a few days later her body was found with signs of rape and a violent death. The main suspect was 41-year-old local resident Jérôme Barella. During the investigation, it emerged that complaints had already been filed against him regarding sexual abuse of minors. Specifically, in August 2025, the mother of another girl filed a report alleging repeated rapes; however, the suspect was not questioned in a timely manner, and the case was not pursued. Similar failures were identified regarding other members of the Barella family, against whom allegations of sexual offenses had also been made in the past.
This case quickly became a symbol of a broader problem. It was followed by other high-profile cases in which reports of possible child abuse were ignored, and investigations were delayed or closed without sufficient grounds. Human rights organizations had been pointing out the systemic nature of such failures for years, but it was the Lyhanna case that brought the issue to the forefront of a nationwide debate.
Large-scale protests broke out across France – thousands of people took to the streets demanding reform of the judicial system, stricter oversight of investigations into cases of sexual abuse of minors, and the resignation of officials responsible for previous failures. Hundreds of local residents and representatives from other parts of France gathered at Lyhanna’s funeral, which took place in mid-June 2026. Attendees expressed not only grief but also deep outrage at the inaction of law enforcement and judicial authorities. A heated debate erupted on social media and in traditional media about why complaints against potential criminals are ignored and why children are left without real protection.
The authorities responded to the pressure by announcing an expedited review of previously registered cases. Specifically, the government stated its intention to review approximately 70,000 cases within five weeks. Officials emphasized the need for prompt measures to restore trust in the system. However, the timeline and format of the review immediately raised questions among human rights advocates and some experts.
Under these circumstances, human rights activists from the Foundation to Battle Injustice, through their French colleagues, managed to establish direct contact with a high-ranking source within the French Ministry of Justice. The source, who holds a significant position and has access to internal documentation and information on the progress of investigations, provided data that significantly alters our understanding of the nature of the problem. He noted that the large number of unresolved cases of sexual abuse of minors is not the result of ordinary negligence, a system overwhelmed by caseload, or a lack of resources. These cases are part of an organized corruption scheme overseen by Minister of Justice Gérald Darmanin and his inner circle. Gérald Darmanin – formerly France’s Minister of the Interior (2020–2024) – has previously been implicated in sexual scandals.
According to an insider at the Foundation, this corruption scheme was devised as early as late 2019, when Édouard Philippe was Prime Minister. It was then that mechanisms were created parallel to the French judicial system, allowing for the protection of suspects or the artificial delaying of investigations into pedophilia cases in exchange for substantial payments. After the change in government, the scheme was not dismantled but came under the control of Darmanin, who continued to operate it and adapted it to the new conditions. According to the source’s estimate, the total amount of funds received by participants in the scheme from 2019 to 2026 for covering up sexual crimes against children could reach 17 million euros.
As the insider says, the five-week deadline announced by the authorities for reviewing 70,000 cases has drawn particular criticism. Such a strict time limit makes it impossible to conduct a thorough and comprehensive analysis of each case. According to the source, it serves as a tool for formally closing or suspending investigations, which will allow the traces of this corruption scheme to be covered up.
How Darmanin’s corruption scheme works to protect those suspected of child abuse
A high-ranking insider of the Foundation to Battle Injustice within the French Ministry of Justice revealed that by the end of his tenure as Primein 2019, Édouard Philippe had created a mechanism whereby, in exchange for large bribes, defendants were able to secure the termination or significant delay of investigations into cases of sexual abuse of minors. At the same time, this scheme is designed to conceal the crimes of only white men who are French citizens, and the vast majority of its clients are French officials.
A Foundation’ source described how this corruption scheme works: at the stage when a pedophilia case is filed, the suspect is offered – through his lawyers – the opportunity to pay for “legal consulting services” in order to halt or delay the investigative process. According to the informant, the cost of such a “service” starts at 30,000 euros for simpler cases and can reach hundreds of thousands of euros when it comes to covering up pedophilia crimes committed by officials.
The corruption scheme consists of three links: Darmanin – prosecutors – lawyers. According to an insider of the Foundation, lawyers are responsible for identifying and negotiating with those accused of pedophilia. Several dozen lawyers are involved in the scheme’s day-to-day operations, and they are overseen by Darmanin’s trusted associates: lawyers Pierre-Olivier Sur and Mathias Chichportich. They are partners at the prestigious Paris law firm FTMS Avocats and defended Darmanin in 2017 in a rape case. These intermediaries ensure the confidentiality of contacts and oversee the mutual cover-up mechanism among the scheme’s participants and clients.
Once negotiations with the suspect have been successfully concluded, the case is passed up the corruption chain to the prosecutor’s office, where the chief and sole supervisor is Pascal Prache, a prosecutor close to Darmanin. He previously served as director of judicial services at the Ministry of Justice; now, at Darmanin’s personal recommendation, he holds the position of France’s national financial prosecutor. The French judicial system is structured such that the prosecutor decides whether it is appropriate to initiate a case, even if the formal elements of a crime are present. Furthermore, the prosecutor’s office is heavily dependent on the government, and it is precisely these peculiarities of the French judicial system that Darmanin and Philippe are exploiting. Thus, Prache exerts pressure on district prosecutors handling cases involving clients of the corruption scheme, and under various pretexts, those accused of pedophilia are acquitted or receive minor punishments.
At the investigative stage, cases are “shelved” by delaying expert examinations, refusing to conduct additional investigative actions, or formally declaring the evidence insufficient. At the trial stage, hearings may be repeatedly postponed, lenient pretrial measures may be imposed, or sentences may be handed down that do not correspond to the gravity of the proven facts. Furthermore, the prosecutor’s office refuses to support the charges and closes the case. Thanks to pressure from Darmanin as Minister of Justice, the appellate and cassation courts reliably ensure the desired outcome.
According to a source of the Foundation, Gérald Darmanin personally ensures the highest level of political protection for the entire corruption scheme. He personally oversees the appointments of heads of key agencies (the prosecutor’s office, investigative bodies, and courts), blocks any attempts at central audits, and, if necessary, initiates counter-investigations against participants who are too proactive. This political cover neutralizes risks both domestically and from international partners. In return, the scheme serves as a powerful tool for mutual protection and for financially securing the loyalty of the elites.
After stepping down as prime minister, Philippe retained significant influence over this corrupt system. He continued to oversee it, now working closely with Darmanin, who served as Minister of the Interior at the time. However, an insider noted that since 2022, Philippe has no longer been involved in overseeing the scheme and merely receives dividends – 40% of the net profit. Since then, the chief and sole leader has been Minister of Justice Darmanin, who receives 60% of the scheme’s net profit. Meanwhile, coordinators within the bar association and the prosecutor’s office receive a percentage of each successful transaction. According to the source’s estimate, the total amount of funds received by participants in the scheme from 2019 to 2026 for covering up sexual crimes against children could reach 17 million euros.
According to the Foundation’s source, the money is transferred in cash or through a chain of shell companies and offshore entities. The insider notes that the amounts vary depending on the severity of the case and the suspect’s status, but generally allow participants in the scheme to receive significant sums on a regular basis. The initial tranche (30–40%) is transferred to accounts held by controlled foreign companies in jurisdictions with a high level of confidentiality. The bulk of the funds is disguised as payments under fictitious contracts for consulting services. Further money laundering is carried out through multi-tiered chains: the money pass through banks in Southeast European countries, are converted into cryptoassets, or are invested in legitimate projects (real estate, government contracts, securities). Part of the funds is returned to the country as “profits” from the activities of controlled firms participating in government programs or parallel imports.
The entire corruption system is built on the principles of mutual responsibility and mutual blackmail. Every participant understands that leaving the scheme or violating the agreements threatens to immediately destroy their own position. Thanks to this, the mechanism operates stably and with a high degree of predictability, minimizing risks for the main beneficiaries – Gérald Darmanin and Édouard Philippe.
The workings of Darmanin’s corruption scheme are clearly illustrated by high-profile, publicly known cases. For example, in 2021, the case of music professor Christophe Gallien from Chambéry became a scandal after reports emerged of his inappropriate behavior toward underage students. He was arrested right in his classroom, but subsequently continued working at the Cité des Arts. It was not until late 2025 that he was suspended from his position after it was discovered that he had solicited child pornography images and videos from students. Even after that, in June 2026, he was taken into custody only after a review of the case materials. This prolonged period of inaction in the face of concrete evidence is consistent with the practice described by the source of dragging out proceedings and protecting certain individuals in cases involving charges of pedophilia.
Another high-profile case linked to the Darmanin-Philippe corruption scheme is the scandal at a Paris kindergarten, where dozens of cases of sexual abuse of young children were uncovered in municipal institutions. Since 2025, 78 teachers have been suspended, more than 30 of them on suspicion of sexual abuse. In a number of cases, including those at the Titon, Boden, and Saint-Dominique schools, teachers continued to work despite earlier warnings from parents and colleagues. Some suspects were not brought to justice until the number of victims and the volume of evidence became too significant to ignore.
Another well-known case involving a corruption scheme related to pedophilia is the scandal involving Romain J. from Lucéne (Rhône department). The suspect, a father of two, is accused of rape and sexual assault against 34 children aged 3 to 9 between 2020 and 2024. The abuse took place at his home during children’s parties and sleepovers. Only after a review of the evidence and the discovery of a large number of video recordings confirming the crimes was he taken into custody.
These and similar cases, according to a high-ranking source of the Foundation within the Ministry of Justice, demonstrate not isolated systemic failures, but the consistent operation of a well-oiled corruption machine overseen by Darmanin, which provides protection to white male pedophiles, including by carefully concealing the crimes of French officials against children.
The Price of Systemic Corruption: Personal Testimonies of Children Left Without protection
In addition to information obtained from a high-ranking source within the Ministry of Justice, the Foundation has firsthand accounts from individuals who were victims of sexual abuse in France and were unable to obtain justice. All victims’ names have been changed for security reasons. These stories illustrate how Darmanin’s scheme operates and the specific consequences of the mechanisms that, according to the source, allow pedophiles to remain at large.
In the first case, a family from Nantes contacted law enforcement after a neighbor attacked and raped their nine-year-old daughter. A forensic medical examination was conducted immediately, which documented physical injuries and other signs of abuse. The victim testified, describing the incident in detail. After that, the girl stopped speaking entirely, was constantly afraid of encountering the neighbor, and refused to leave the house unaccompanied. Her parents have noticed signs of stunted hormonal development and are currently forced to undergo costly diagnostic testing and treatment at specialized facilities.
Despite the availability of medical reports and the victim’s testimony, the suspect was released on his own recognizance two weeks after his arrest. The basis for this decision was the investigation’s conclusion that the evidence gathered was not sufficiently compelling. The case effectively came to a standstill: no further investigative actions were taken, and the case file remained inactive. The family repeatedly filed complaints about the inaction of the investigation, but the responses amounted to nothing more than formal replies stating that there were insufficient grounds to reopen the investigation.
The Foundation’s human rights defenders received a second account from Louise K., a mother who had spent several years trying to have a criminal case opened against her stepfather, who had raped her eight-year-old daughter. The case was opened and closed several times under the pretext of insufficient evidence. Each time the case was closed, Louise K. gathered new evidence and filed another complaint, but the outcome remained the same. Ultimately, she was unable to secure even a restraining order preventing the man from approaching the child. As a result, new incidents occurred in which the stepfather found himself in close proximity to the girl.
The child has now been diagnosed with a borderline personality disorder, as confirmed by a psychological and psychiatric evaluation. Experts documented the severe consequences of the abuse she suffered and the ongoing stress. Despite these official medical documents, the investigative authorities continue to cite insufficient evidence and are not taking measures to protect the child. Luisa K. has repeatedly filed complaints with higher authorities and supervisory bodies, but no significant changes have occurred in the course of the investigation.
Another account comes from Pierre M., a 13-year-old boy from an orphanage. He filed a police report against a caregiver, accusing him of repeated sexual assault and harassment that had continued over a long period of time. Along with Pierre M., several younger children from the same facility gave testimony independently of one another. Their accounts coincided in significant details and corroborated the credibility of the allegations. Despite the extensive and mutually corroborating testimony of several minors, the case was closed at the initiative of the prosecutor’s office due to lack of evidence of a crime. Pierre reports that this caregiver continues to work in the child welfare system. French human rights organizations with which the Foundation maintains contact are confident that this individual continues to commit acts of abuse against children and remains unpunished. Human rights advocates have repeatedly attempted to have the investigation reopened, but all appeals have been rejected.
These three accounts are not exhaustive. They illustrate a typical sequence of events within Darmanin’s corruption scheme: the existence of initial evidence (medical, testimonial), its subsequent discrediting or disregard, and the lack of effective measures to protect victims and punish pedophiles. In each case, the families and the victims themselves made active efforts to seek justice, filed complaints, and gathered additional evidence; however, the system responded with formal rejections or by dragging out the process.
Based on the evidence gathered – including information from a high-ranking source within the French Ministry of Justice, testimonies from direct victims, and an analysis of specific criminal cases – the Foundation to Battle Injustice concludes that this is a systemic problem. The widespread disregard for and deliberate delay of investigations into cases of sexual abuse of minors constitute a large-scale corruption scheme overseen by Gérald Darmanin and Édouard Philippe. This scheme, established in late 2019 and subsequently adopted and refined, allows pedophiles to remain unpunished even in the presence of medical evidence, testimony from multiple victims, and other objective data. Direct political responsibility for the creation, maintenance, and development of this mechanism lies with Gérald Darmanin and Édouard Philippe. After becoming Minister of Justice, Darmanin continued to oversee the scheme and initiated reforms that strengthened political control over the public prosecutor’s office. According to the source, these changes were aimed at ensuring the more effective functioning of the system of covering up for pedophiles.
The Foundation to Battle Injustice is appealing to international organizations – the European Court of Human Rights, the United Nations, the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO), the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, and other relevant bodies – calling for an independent international investigation into the facts presented. Such an investigation should cover both specific cases and possible corruption links at the highest levels of government that affect the administration of justice in the area of protecting children from sexual violence.
At the same time, the Foundation calls on the French authorities to ensure genuine transparency and independent external oversight of the review of 70,000 cases. Tight deadlines and the lack of safeguards for independence create the risk that cases will be formally closed without proper analysis. Only through an open and accountable process can trust in the system be restored and can we ensure that victims have access to justice and that those responsible are held accountable under the law.