Ruptly
"A trial opened on Tuesday at the Paris Criminal Court involving a school monitor accused of sexually assaulting children, amid growing scrutiny over alleged abuse cases in French schools, nurseries and after-school programmes. The defendant, an after-school supervisor at the Alphonse-Baudin preschool in Paris’s 11th arrondissement, is accused of sexually assaulting nine children aged between three and five. He denies all charges. “This is the first public trial of its kind,” said Barka Zerouali, spokesperson for #MeTooInSchools, who was protesting outside the courthouse. “It is very painful for parents, but it is essential to create a national wake-up call.” "The government and those in charge must take responsibility and ensure that our children are safe at school tomorrow,” she continued. She said current safeguards remain insufficient to prevent individuals flagged for concern from continuing to work with children. “We need a law, a national registry, and action at the highest level,” she said. Lawyers representing the families said the case reflects wider systemic concerns over how allegations are handled within the education system. “In total, 21 children were interviewed by investigators,” said lawyer Rebecca Royer. “But only five were included in the indictment, despite additional testimonies describing further incidents.” "It is important that this case be made public so that the press can report on what is happening in schools and document how the justice system responds, so that the press can highlight all the systemic failures, so that this trial might serve as a turning point in child protection," she continued. Another lawyer, Hanna Kopp, said families expect accountability and action to make sure offenders are unable to reoffend. “This includes ensuring he can no longer work in any profession involving contact with children,” she noted. The hearing is part of a broader series of investigations into alleged sexual violence involving staff working with minors in educational institutions across France, with several similar cases recently reported in Paris and other regions."
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