Paris, May 23 – Two after-school animators, who were employed at the Saint-Dominique school in Paris, have been remanded in custody on Friday, suspected of sexual violence against children. A female animator involved in the same case has been granted the more lenient status of assisted witness.
Judicial Inquiry Underway After Child Testimonies
The judicial inquiry, opened on Friday, concerns “acts committed to the detriment of about twenty children,” according to the public prosecutor’s office. Two animators are being prosecuted for “acts of a sexual nature.” The individuals, aged 52 and 44, were born in Brazil and Cameroon respectively, as reported during court hearings attended by AFP before they were held in camera.
During the proceedings, the Brazilian-born suspect, a father with long, wavy grey hair, listened calmly, with the aid of an interpreter, to the allegations against him. He is being prosecuted for “a number of acts” reported by “several victims” of rape or sexual assault on minors under 15, according to the judge. The second suspect, born in Cameroon, is being investigated for “acts of sexual assault over several periods” and for sexual exhibition to children, the judge stated.
Sources close to the case indicated that the judicial inquiry aims to corroborate the numerous denunciations, which are currently based on “the children’s statements.”
Parents Express “Immense Anger”
In a statement, parents of Saint-Dominique students, organized under the collective “Les petits héros de Saint-Do” (The Little Heroes of Saint-Do), expressed their profound relief and anger. “Despite the threats they faced, our children had the courage to speak, we are so proud of them, and we will not be silent,” the collective declared. They also voiced “immense anger towards the aggressors but also towards the institutions, starting with the City of Paris and the Saint-Dominique school.” The collective accused that “signals existed, they were hidden from parents.”
This judicial inquiry extends to after-school activities in three Parisian schools: Saint-Dominique, Rapp, and La Rochefoucauld, all located in the 7th arrondissement. It was initiated following interviews with 44 children by the Child Protection Brigade. Approximately “twenty” children have been identified as “victims,” while “another twenty” had their complaints “dismissed at this stage, notably because they did not name their aggressor,” according to “Les petits héros de Saint-Do.”
Broader Investigation and City’s Response
Earlier in the week, 13 other individuals had been questioned and subsequently released, with the prosecutor’s office stating a lack of “sufficient evidence” against them. The female animator presented to justice on Friday was given the status of assisted witness.
Other procedures are ongoing in the capital concerning alleged violence in after-school care. “About a hundred investigations concern nursery schools, twenty primary schools, and ten crèches,” the prosecutor’s office reported. On Wednesday, the Socialist Party Mayor of Paris, Emmanuel Grégoire, welcomed an “acceleration of inquiries.” In early April, he launched a 20-million-euro action plan for after-school care, designating it an “absolute priority” for his current term.
The ongoing investigations highlight a significant concern regarding child safety in Parisian after-school programs, prompting both judicial and municipal responses to address the allegations and prevent future incidents.
