French judges and police commissioners have written to Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin, expressing concerns about how he has handled the Lyhanna case and warning against using them as scapegoats. The letter, obtained by BFMTV, was sent by two influential unions: the Union Syndicale des Magistrats (USM), representing judges, and the Syndicat des Commissaires de la Police Nationale (SCPN), representing police commissioners. They argue that the problems in the Lyhanna case—where a minor was allegedly sexually assaulted—do not stem from negligence but from chronic under-resourcing of the justice and police systems over many years. The unions highlighted several systemic issues, including outdated computer systems, a lack of judicial police officers, and a shortage of judges. These problems have led to overcrowded prosecutors' offices and police stations, slowing down investigations and increasing the risk of errors. The unions called for "strong actions" to address these issues, including simplifying legal procedures, expanding the use of specialized investigative techniques, modernizing methods for intercepting digital communications, and completely overhauling the computer systems used by the police and judiciary. The letter from the unions comes in response to a July 2023 letter sent by Justice Minister Darmanin to Laurent Nuñez, the head of the National Police. In that letter, Darmanin outlined flaws in how sexual violence cases involving minors had been handled, pointing to inadequate training and outdated software as contributing factors. The unions’ response suggests that these problems are not isolated incidents but part of a broader, long-standing issue affecting the entire system. Darmanin’s office did not provide a comment when contacted by BFMTV about the unions’ letter. The situation underscores growing tensions between law enforcement and the government over the capacity and resources available to handle sensitive and complex cases, particularly those involving vulnerable victims.