France is confronting a major child protection issue after authorities launched probes into dozens of state nursery and primary schools over claims of violence, sexual assault and rape by support staff. Paris prosecutors are reviewing more than 100 reports of mistreatment involving children as young as three during lunch, rest periods and after-school care. Investigations are active at 84 preschools, roughly 20 primary schools and about 10 daycare centres, according to the city’s chief prosecutor. Legal representatives have described cases that include alleged rape of children aged three and four. Parent organisations stated they had pressed for years for complaints to be addressed seriously and pointed to shortcomings in hiring and vetting procedures for school monitors. These staff members supervise children outside classroom hours and are employed by local authorities, often without formal training or on temporary contracts. Nursery education is compulsory from age three in France, making monitors a regular presence for pupils up to age 11. Reported incidents include verbal aggression, physical force, withholding of food and sexual abuse. One lawyer filed complaints in February concerning alleged rapes at a Paris nursery school. In separate cases, a three-year-old girl and a three-year-old boy were said to have been assaulted by the same monitor who had been reassigned after earlier complaints. The children have shown ongoing physical and emotional effects, the lawyer noted. A trial is scheduled next week for a monitor accused of abusing five children aged three to five. Another case involving nine ten-year-old girls is due for a verdict next month. Paris city hall has suspended 78 monitors since January, including 31 over suspected sexual misconduct, and introduced a 20-million-euro plan to reform recruitment. A citizens’ assembly will report on the issue in June. National parent groups say the problems extend beyond the capital and reflect systemic weaknesses in oversight.
