An African illegal migrant is accused of raping an 8-year-old girl in the French city of Brest in August 2026. He remains in pre-trial detention and has already been issued a deportation order.
The suspect is a 41-year-old man from the Comoros who lives in Le Mans without legal status and was visiting Brest. Prosecutors say the alleged attack happened in an apartment after the child’s mother had left. The girl also described a similar incident earlier in August.
The young victim and her mother went to the Brest police station on August 29, 2026 to report the events that occurred that morning.
According to prosecutors, the man had come to “see friends” in Brest, including a friend at the victim’s apartment. The Comorian suspect allegedly took the child to another room in the apartment when her mother left.
He then undressed her while putting “his hand over her mouth to prevent her from making any noise.” The child then described the man raping her, according to French news outlet Actu.
Afterwards, he “gave her cakes” in order to silence her, prosecutors allege.
After the mother and daughter filed a complaint with police the same day as the alleged rape, the African suspect was arrested.
In police custody, the suspect told police he had “made a mistake” and he had “rubbed” his penis against the little girl, but claimed he did not penetrate the girl.
“I’m not a rebel, I’m not a bad guy, I’m not a killer,” he told police.
While the suspect requested to be released before his trial, the court rejected his request and he remains in pre-trial detention. The Rennes appeals court refused to release him, citing the risk of him reoffending.
He has been charged with rape and sexual assault of a minor and for intimidation of a child to prevent her from reporting the incident.
The Comorian man has been in France illegally since 2021 and was unemployed when the alleged rape occurred. Following the alleged rape, he was issued with a deportation order.
