French Justice Minister Refuses to Resign Over Child Sexual Assault Case Handling

French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin has rejected calls for his resignation following public outrage over a girl's murder that highlighted failures in the police and judicial system's handling of child sexual assault cases. The case has drawn attention to France's poor conviction rate for child sexual assault, with only seven percent of such cases resulting in perpetrator convictions. The murder has sparked widespread criticism of how French authorities respond to and prosecute crimes against minors, with critics pointing to systemic failures that allow dangerous offenders to remain free.