Child identified after 30 years

Inass Touloub, a 4-year-old girl whose body was found on the A10 highway in 1987, has finally been identified after more than three decades of investigation. Her parents, Halima El Bakhti and Ahmed Touloub, are now facing trial for "acts of torture and barbarity resulting in death without intent to kill" and complicity before the court of assizes in Blois.

DNA confirms identity

The identification came in 1997 through DNA matching with a 30-year-old man who had been involved in a fight with a neighbor. The DNA analysis showed a 99.999999% match, confirming the man was the victim's brother. The parents, now aged 72 and 74, face the possibility of life imprisonment.

Discovery of the body

Inass Touloub's body, covered in bruises and bite marks, was discovered wrapped in a blue wool blanket on the side of the A10 highway on August 11, 1987. She was between 3 and 5 years old, of Mediterranean appearance, weighing 20 kilograms and standing 95 centimeters tall. No one reported her disappearance, not her family, social services, or her school.

Evidence of severe injuries

The discovery of the body by two Cofiroute agents around 3 p.m. revealed the complexity of the crime. The body had been placed on the roadside but had been covered with a dressing gown over her bodysuit and underpants. The autopsy showed extensive injuries, including burns, bruises of different ages, and particularly violent bite marks. One of her nipples was nearly torn off, and there were tooth marks on her cheek. She also had recent fractures on her forearm and ribs, as well as older fractures that were never treated.

Investigation challenges

The investigation faced numerous challenges. The child's severe facial injuries led to the use of a composite sketch to avoid shocking the public. The police conducted door-to-door searches in nearby villages and expanded their search to social workers and civil registration records. The bite marks were analyzed and found to match the jaw of a woman or an adolescent. They also looked into psychiatric hospitals but found no leads.

Extensive search efforts

The investigation was extensive, with 19,000 preschools and 63,000 primary schools visited, and the CAF files compared to school records. The first investigating judge, Georges Domergue, even approached the Minister of Education to request a national search of school records, which was denied. The conclusion was that the perpetrator was likely in the child's immediate circle, given the lack of any reported disappearance and the prolonged nature of the abuse.

Public awareness campaign

In the autumn of 1987, 130,000 posters with a retouched photo of the child were distributed across France and 30 other countries. The investigation faced many false leads, and despite the efforts, the case was officially closed in 1991 due to a lack of new evidence. However, the case remained unresolved for over 30 years.

Closure through DNA technology

The identification of Inass Touloub through DNA technology, which was not available in 1987, has finally brought closure to a long-standing mystery. The case highlights the challenges of cold cases and the evolution of forensic techniques over time.