France is confronting a widespread child abuse scandal as school monitors at dozens of state nursery and primary schools are investigated for violence, sexual assault and rape. Paris police are examining more than 100 allegations of mistreatment, physical violence and rape of children as young as three, prosecutors confirmed.
Paris's top prosecutor, Laure Beccuau, said investigations are under way in 84 preschools, about 20 primary schools and about 10 daycare centres. Lawyers said the investigations include alleged rapes of children aged three and four. Parents' groups said they had fought for years for allegations to be taken seriously, citing failures in recruitment and vetting of monitors.
Florian Lastelle, a lawyer for three Paris families who have filed complaints, described the situation as 'a massive scandal'. He said: 'The state school system is a source of pride in this country, but unfortunately in France today it's not possible to say that the public service guarantees children's safety.'
School monitors are adults responsible for children during lunch, breaks, naps and after-school activities, often spending more time with children than teachers. They are recruited by local authorities, often without training or diplomas, and many are paid by the hour. Accusations include children being screamed at, pushed, having their hair pulled, denied food, forced to eat until they vomited, and sexually assaulted or raped.
Lawyer Louis Cailliez, representing two families, filed complaints in February over alleged rapes of nursery schoolchildren in 2025. In one case, a three-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a monitor; in another, a three-year-old boy was allegedly raped by the same monitor, who had been moved after complaints of physical violence. Cailliez called the sector 'a disaster' and 'a national catastrophe'.
Paris mayor Emmanuel Grégoire has launched a €20m plan to address 'major dysfunction' in the school monitor system. Between January and April, city hall suspended 78 monitors, including 31 suspected of sexual abuse. Grégoire, who disclosed he was sexually abused as a child by a monitor, has set up a citizens' assembly to report in June.
