FRANCE PROBES CHILD ABUSE CLAIMS ACROSS PARIS SCHOOLS AND NURSERIES

French authorities are investigating more than 100 allegations of abuse involving children in Paris public schools, preschools, and daycare centres, according to reporting from The Guardian and the Associated Press. Paris prosecutors have confirmed probes involving 84 preschools, about 20 primary schools, and 10 daycare centres, with allegations including mistreatment, physical violence, sexual assault, and rape of children as young as three.

The allegations focus largely on municipal school monitors, also known in France as périscolaire staff, who supervise children outside normal classroom instruction. Their duties can include lunch periods, bathroom breaks, naps, recess, and after-school activities. The Guardian reported that these workers are recruited by city hall or local authorities rather than directly by France’s national education ministry, and may not always have professional diplomas or extensive training.

A rare public trial opened in Paris this week involving a school assistant accused of sexually assaulting nine children aged 3 to 5 between August 2024 and April 2025, according to AP. Trials involving minors in France are usually private, but parents in the case pushed for public proceedings to raise awareness and demand stronger safeguards. The defendant denies the accusations and also faces allegations involving coworkers.

The case has widened beyond one school. Paris City Hall has suspended 78 monitors in 2026, including 31 over sexual-abuse allegations, according to The Guardian and AP. Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire, who has publicly described himself as a survivor of child abuse, has announced a €20 million reform plan aimed at improving oversight, child protection, and the organization of school supervision.

Parents’ groups including SOS Périscolaire and #MeTooEcole have accused authorities of failing to respond quickly enough to early warnings. The Guardian reported concerns around inadequate vetting, weak training, and failures to act on prior complaints. AP also reported that in the current trial, parents say initial warnings were ignored before children disclosed alleged abuse.

The scandal has also created tension among after-school staff. Le Monde reported that Paris after-school activity leaders went on strike last week, saying the wave of allegations and automatic suspensions had created a climate of fear among low-paid and precariously employed workers. Staff representatives argued that workers need better training, clearer procedures, and improved support, while parents’ groups continue to demand stronger accountability and transparency.

The core issue is whether Paris has a systemic safeguarding failure in the parts of the school day that happen outside the classroom. Teachers are not the main focus of the current allegations. The scrutiny is on the supervision system around meals, naps, bathroom breaks, recess, and after-school care — exactly the moments when very young children may be least able to explain what happened or identify who was responsible.

For French officials, the next test is whether investigations lead only to individual prosecutions or to broader reforms in hiring, training, reporting, and oversight. For parents, the question is more immediate: whether public institutions can prove that children are safe during the full school day, not only during formal classroom instruction.

Fact-check date: 26 May 2026
Sources: The Guardian, Associated Press, Le Monde

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