A sexual abuse scandal shakes French schools. The Parisian authorities are investigating dozens of daycares and primary education centers after receiving more than 100 complaints in this regard that accuse the monitors of these centers.
Dozens of families of affected minors have reported abuse in these centers during times such as recess or extracurricular activities. Last Wednesday, the French Police arrested 16 people linked to this investigation into alleged sexual assaults and acts of sexual violence against minors.
The figure of the monitors in France
In France, early childhood education is mandatory from the age of three, and monitors or supervisors are in charge of these minors during lunch, naps, breaks and extracurricular activities. These professionals are also hired by the city councils of each city.
The prosecutor general of Paris, Laure Beccau, announced that “there are a considerable number of pending files in the criminal brigade. It is a warning point that has been written down,” regarding these registered complaints.
About 80 monitors have been removed
The mayor of Paría, Emmanuel Grégoire, has described these figures as “systemic”, after revealing last November that he had been a victim of abuse in his childhood and placing the protection of minors as one of the priorities of his mandate.
After the March elections, Grégoire approved an emergency plan of 20 million euros to strengthen the out-of-school system, simplifying complaint mechanisms and strengthening information for families.
Since the beginning of 2026, the Paría City Council has already suspended 78 workers from their school and extracurricular activities, including 31 for suspicions of sexual violence.
The current objective of the new policy also includes rethinking how this school and extracurricular time is organized in centers to guarantee the correct development of minors.
