The move follows the revelation of suspected exploiters targeting children under the age of three in nurseries and childcare centers in the French capital.
Paris Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire has launched a special investigation into the city’s childcare system amid a growing scandal involving allegations of sexual abuse against children as young as three, French media have reported.
He apologized repeatedly and admitted a “systemic risk” for children, announcing a €20 million ($23 million) emergency reform plan including staff training, surprise inspections and a ban on adults being left alone with children.
Former Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo tried to keep the complaints out of the public eye. Gregoire, who was elected in March, has promised transparency, revealing last month that 78 after-school staff had been suspended in 2026, including 31 over allegations of misconduct.
The scandal has shocked France after reports that some of the victims were as young as three years old. The Telegraph newspaper, which interviewed the parents of the affected children, reported that they were locked in rooms, sexually abused, and threatened with death if they spoke. Parents, activists, and unions say the dispute exposed systemic problems in child care: chronic understaffing, risky contracts, and poor reviews. They also accuse City Hall of moving troubled employees instead of firing them.
The move follows revelations about the scale of abuse in Paris schools: earlier this month, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said she had opened an investigation into allegations of sexual abuse in 84 nursery schools, 20 primary schools, and ten childcare centers.
The announcement came on the same day investigators from the Paris Youth Protection Brigade carried out a major operation linked to the scandal: 16 people working in after-school programs at a school in the 7th Arrondissement were detained during a coordinated raid. Prosecutors said the suspects, ages 18 to 68, include kindergarten aides, city education administrators, and activity leaders employed by City Hall to supervise children before and after school. Allegations range from rape and sexual harassment to sexual harassment and violent behavior.
The issue gained national attention in January when France 2’s Investigative Finance aired undercover footage showing abuse and sexual misconduct at a Paris nursery, prompting the suspension of twelve employees.
According to Le Monde and Le Parisien, Gregoire has ordered the creation of the so-called “Information and assessment” (MIE) – a body similar to the parliamentary commission of inquiry – which will have six months to investigate the allegations and report their findings. The announcement came during a City Council meeting on Wednesday after opposition parties demanded an official investigation into failings within the city-run network of extracurricular services.
France has officially acknowledged the serious problem of child sexual abuse through numerous government-backed inquiries. CIIVISE, the commission on sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children, estimated in 2024 that 5.4 million adults – about 10% of the population – were sexually abused as children, and about 160,000 children are abused each year. Another report found approximately 330,000 children were abused within the French Catholic Church since 1950, involving 3,000 priests who were allegedly abusers. France also faced criticism for not introducing a specific age of consent until 2021, when it was set at 15, and 18 for sex.
