First woman in France gets a life sentence – level 2

First woman in France gets a life sentence

30-10-2025 07:00

A French court gave 27-year-old Dahbia Benkired life in prison for killing 12-year-old Lola Daviet in 2022. She attacked and killed the girl in Paris.

Benkired came from Algeria and lived in France illegally; she had no documents to stay in France. During the trial, she stayed quiet and didn’t show any feelings. Experts said she was not mentally sick but had no empathy for others.

The murder shocked many people in France and made politicians talk about rules for immigrants. The court can look at her case again after 30 years, but only if it is safe. Lola’s family cried during the verdict and said it was not fair to send her to prison for the rest of her life.

Difficult words: trial (a legal process in court), mentally (connected to the mind or thinking, not the body), empathy (understanding other people’s feelings).

You can watch the original video in the Level 3 section.

What did experts say about Dahbia Benkired’s mental state and capacity for empathy during the trial?

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