Paris suspends 52 extracurricular activity leaders over suspected sexual abuse

Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire announced the suspension of 132 extracurricular activity leaders in the French capital, revealing that 52 of them are under suspicion for alleged sexual abuse of minors. The announcement came during a visit to a Parisian school, providing an updated provisional figure amid a growing wave of accusations against childcare workers.

These workers, estimated to number between 5,000 and 6,000 across Paris, are responsible for the care of approximately 130,000 minors. While numerous accusations have surfaced, few cases involving accused childcare workers have reached the courts since the scandal broke in late 2025. A recent case on May 26 saw a 36-year-old man tried for assaulting three minors, with the prosecution seeking a three-year prison sentence, one year to be served under electronic monitoring.

Mayor Grégoire, who took office in March, introduced a 20 million euro plan in April aimed at enhancing the hiring procedures for extracurricular activity leaders. These roles fall under the purview of the local government in Paris, not the national government. The plan also seeks to implement new protocols to prevent children from being left alone with monitors and to streamline the reporting process for complaints from both parents and children.

The scandal surrounding extracurricular activities in Paris unfolds against the backdrop of national shock following the death of 11-year-old Lyhanna. The primary suspect in her alleged murder, Jérôme Barella, had previously been the subject of multiple alerts and complaints that were either dismissed or still under investigation.