Little girl’s plea for her parents’ mercy to Patrice Talon: the government hears but …
The government spokesperson, Wilfried Léandre Houngbédji, has responded to the heart-wrenching letter from young Mira, 10 years old, who is pleading for presidential clemency for her incarcerated parents. While he acknowledges the emotional impact of the message, the government remains firm on respect for judicial procedures.
SUMMARY
The voice of little Goudjo Mira was not lost in the tumult of social media. Quite the contrary. It touched the highest echelons of power.
Wilfried Léandre Houngbédji, spokesperson for the Beninese government, has publicly responded to the poignant letter from this 10-year-old girl, who pleads with President Patrice Talon to use his power of mercy to free her parents who have been incarcerated since 2022 in the “Tiens Ds Com” case.
In his statement, the spokesperson did not evade the emotional charge of Mira’s message. “We have heard her cry from the heart,” he affirmed, before pointing out that the girl’s case, as moving as it may be, is not isolated.
“In our prisons, to date, there must be around 13,000 people in detention. These people are, for the most part, fathers and mothers of families,” he continued.
Between compassion and judicial strictness
The government says it understands the distress expressed by Mira, but remains committed to balance between humanity and justice. “The cry of little Mira is also the cry of all other anonymous children,” acknowledged Wilfried Léandre Houngbédji. However, he states that all detainees must answer for the actions they are accused of, observing strict judicial procedures.
The government spokesperson also expressed hope that “the time of acceptance comes as soon as possible,” so that responsibilities can be clearly located.
In his opinion, compassion should not short-circuit the rule of law. “If there are things they are accused of and need to answer for, as citizens and litigants, like everyone else, they should be able to respond,” he emphasized.
A heart-wrenching letter that went viral
As a reminder, Goudjo Mira, a student in the second year of middle school, wrote a sincere, handwritten letter to the president of the Republic on May 8, 2025.
In it, she implores the release of her parents, Goudjo Élisée and Agassou Chantal, who have been imprisoned for three years following their conviction in the “Tiens Ds Com” case by the Court for the Repression of Economic Offenses and Terrorism (CRIET).
In her letter filled with pain and maturity, Mira describes the difficult daily life she shares with her siblings, between parental absence, precariousness, and interrupting her schooling due to lack of resources. “My tears have flowed too much,” she wrote.
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