Nuñez rejects Darmanin's 'phantom stock' claim on child abuse cases

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez rejected the notion of a "phantom stock" of unregistered child sexual abuse cases, a claim made by Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin following the Lyhanna affair. Darmanin's July letter to Nuñez criticized police handling of minor abuse investigations, citing prosecutor reports of abandoned or lost files. Nuñez insisted all cases are processed and prioritized with prosecutors, calling the criticism of security forces illegitimate. Nuñez plans to meet Darmanin soon to respond point-by-point to the observations. The dispute follows public outrage over the June death of 11-year-old Lyhanna, which made child sexual violence a prosecutorial priority.