A 36-year-old former school employee, identified in French media as David G., faced trial in Paris on Tuesday. He is accused of sexually assaulting eight children. This case highlights a crisis in the Paris school system, with child abuse allegations in around 130 institutions, including schools, kindergartens, and nurseries.
David G., who worked at the Alphonse Baudin kindergarten in central Paris, was suspended in April and arrested in June. In court, he denied all charges, stating, “Looking back now, I realize I should have been more careful around children, kept my distance, played with them less, and held them on my lap less often.”
Parents reported behavioral changes in their children to the school director, leading to David G.’s arrest, according to the Paris prosecutor’s office. He is also accused of harassing or assaulting two adult colleagues. School officials have not commented, and the education ministry has refrained from statements due to the lawsuit’s status.
Dozens of nonteaching staff members in Paris schools are under investigation for similar accusations. These incidents, often occurring during after-school activities or recess, have affected trust in the city’s school system. This crisis poses an early challenge for the new mayor, Emmanuel Grégoire.
“We hope this case will be a turning point in child protection,” said Rebecca Royer, who represents six of the victims’ families alongside lawyer Hannah Kopp. Their clients decided to allow the public to attend the trial to illustrate that these are not isolated incidents, Royer explained.
In the French school system, the national Education Ministry hires teachers, while city authorities recruit staff for recess and after-school activities.
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