(TAP)- Minister of Justice Omar Mansour ordered the Public Prosecutor at the Court of First Instance in Sousse to initiate a criminal investigation into the rape of 41 Tunisian children by a French national.

In a statement released Tuesday, the Justice Department called for the need to accelerate the execution of the letter rogatory issued by the French authorities to render justice to the victims.

The jurors of the Assize Court of Yvelines (Paris) had condemned French aid worker Thierry Darantiere, 52, to 16 years in prison for having raped or sexually abused at least 66 boys, including 41 Tunisians.

The hard drives seized at his home contained thousands of photos and hundreds of videos featuring him with minors during trips in Tunisia (41 victims), Egypt (6) and Sri Lanka (19), where he travelled many times after the 2004 tsunami in the guise of humanitarian action.

The case provoked a wave of indignation in Tunisia and sparked strong reactions from the civil society which denounced the silence of the Tunisian authorities about the case.

Member of the parliamentary group of Al-Horra, Bochra Belhadj Hamida, on Monday, called for holding a hearing with Justice Minister, Omar Mansour and Minister of Women, Family and Children, Samira Marai Friaa on this case, in accordance with Article 146 of the rules of the House of people's representatives.