France to unveil child protection bill amid school abuse scandal

The French government will present a new child protection bill to the Cabinet on Wednesday aimed at tightening safeguards for minors amid a widening abuse scandal, Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said Tuesday.

In a statement on the US social media company X, Lecornu said the legislation would introduce “systematic background checks” for all individuals working with children as concerns grow over abuse involving minors.

“Too many parents, too many educators, too many professionals, too many local elected officials have been raising alarms for too long,” he said.

Massive abuse scandal

The latest legislation comes as French authorities are facing a massive abuse scandal involving school monitors in dozens of nursery and primary schools.

Paris prosecutors are investigating more than 100 allegations of physical violence, sexual assault, and rape involving children as young as three years old.

The investigations reportedly cover 84 nursery schools, around 20 primary schools, and several daycare centers in the French capital.

Parents’ groups and lawyers have accused authorities of ignoring complaints for years and failing to properly vet school staff working with children.

The case has renewed concerns in France over rising violence involving minors and shortcomings within the country’s child welfare system.

Law to provide protection

According to Lecornu, if passed, the law would also allow for immediate protection measures in cases where children are deemed to be in danger and would seek to end prolonged temporary placements within France’s child welfare system.

The proposed legislation is expected to streamline procedures and provide faster responses to possible cases of abuse or neglect, he added.

Lecornu stressed that protecting children “cannot wait for next year’s electoral deadlines,” in an apparent reference to France’s upcoming political calendar.

The bill would be submitted to parliament later this summer.

Sexual violence involving minors rising: Eurostat

According to Eurostat data, sexual violence involving minors has risen sharply since 2017, with French authorities reporting thousands of cases each year.

French media and child protection organizations have also repeatedly warned about conditions within the Child Welfare System (ASE), which cares for nearly 400,000 children nationwide.

According to a report by Radio France Internationale, around 15,000 children under ASE care have been victims of prostitution networks.​​​​​​​