Lyhanna Case: Fundraiser Exceeds €15,000 for Rosa and Mother
Two fundraising campaigns in France have raised tens of thousands of euros for families affected by the Lyhanna murder case to cover living expenses and legal costs.
A fundraiser titled “Never Again” was launched on June 12 by the taekwondo club in Auch where Audrey, her daughter Rosa, and Jérôme Barella regularly trained together, according to Valeurs Actuelles. Barella has been charged with the kidnapping and murder of eleven-year-old Lyhanna.
The initiative was initially created to cover legal expenses for Audrey’s lawsuit against the French state. She filed a rape complaint against Barella in August 2025 concerning alleged violence against her daughter Rosa. Law enforcement never acted on the complaint.
The fundraiser reached its initial goal of 12,000 euros within just forty-eight hours. Four days after launch, the campaign had collected nearly 15,000 euros from several hundred donors.
The purpose of the funds has since changed. The taekwondo club announced that Audrey’s attorney, Maître Debuisson, waived all legal fees. The money will now help cover the family’s everyday expenses and create a financial reserve for Rosa when she reaches adulthood.
Campaign organizers met with Audrey and her daughter following the first days of donations. Many contributors who left messages shared their own experiences as victims or family members of victims, praising the mother’s fight to expose failures in the system.
Second Fundraiser for Victim’s Family
A separate fundraiser was launched on the Leetchi platform by Lyhanna’s aunt to assist the murdered girl’s parents and younger brother with administrative procedures following their devastating loss.
The campaign description states that Lyhanna left behind immense pain when she died at only eleven years old. Organizers clarified that funds would not be used for legal costs or attorney fees for the family.
Launched on the evening of June 14, this second collection quickly began receiving contributions, though the total amount has been deliberately kept hidden.
Case Details
The tragedy continues to generate intense emotion across France. Lyhanna disappeared on May 29 in Fleurance before her body was discovered on June 4 at a farm in Puycasquier.
Barella, a 41-year-old father whose daughter was friends with the victim, has been placed in pre-trial detention. He faces formal charges of kidnapping and murdering a minor under fifteen years of age.
The case has raised serious questions about why authorities failed to investigate Audrey’s rape complaint filed months before the murder. Her daughter had reportedly been victimized by the same man who would later kill her friend.
With information from Valeurs Actuelles
