French shock after student’s body found in Paris park
Calls for inquiry after student found dead, suspect had prior conviction
The grim discovery of Philippine Le Noir de Carla’s partially buried body has left France in shock. The 19-year-old Paris Dauphine University student was found in a Paris park after her disappearance on September 20. Police arrested 22-year-old Moroccan national, Taha O, in Geneva, suspecting him of the murder.
A woman has now come forward, revealing that Taha O raped her in 2019. She questioned, “Why did the prison service fail to prevent this repeat offence?”
Penned an open letter to Agence France-Presse, she expresses her frustration with what she perceives as failures by the French state. She demanded a parliamentary inquiry, according to reports.
In her letter, she wrote, “I want a parliamentary inquiry into preventing repeat offences in sexual and sexist crimes. I did everything possible to prevent a recurrence of what happened to me.”
“I filed a lawsuit so that the rape I suffered would be recognised, so my attacker would be found guilty, and so I would be recognised as a victim. I endured a two-year investigation and trial, believing it would help protect other women.”
She continued, “Immediately after his release, he seems to have offended again, committing an irreparable act. If so, why? Why did the prison service fail to stop this repeat offence? Why didn’t they halt this spiral of violence that led to the murder of a young woman?”
The accused perpetrator
Taha O received a seven-year prison sentence for the 2019 rape of the then-23-year-old woman. He fled France after the crime and was captured in Switzerland.
Reports indicate he was released early from prison in June and placed in a detention centre for illegal immigrants.
On September 3, he was freed from detention after Morocco failed to respond to French requests to authorise his entry into the country. Morocco granted the authorisation three days later, but by then, Taha O had disappeared.
The rape survivor expresses deep sadness over the student’s death, saying she feels “intensely sad” and was “confronted by the intolerable emptiness left by [Le Noir de Carla’s] death”. She added, “Philippine could have been my sister.”
What Other Media Are Saying
- Hindustan Times reports on a brave French woman opening up about her rape by a suspect in the murder of a 19-year-old student, highlighting her resilience and the ongoing investigation. (Read more)
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some common questions asked about this news
Who was Philippine Le Noir de Carla?
A 19-year-old student at Paris Dauphine University whose body was found in a Paris park.
Who is the suspect in Philippine Le Noir de Carla’s murder?
A 22-year-old Moroccan man named Taha O.
What did the rape survivor’s open letter demand?
A parliamentary inquiry into the prevention of repeat offending in sexual and sexist crimes.
Why was Taha O released from detention?
He was freed after Morocco failed to respond promptly to French requests for his entry authorization.
How did the rape survivor express her feelings about Philippine’s death?
She felt intensely sad and said Philippine could have been her sister.
