Violence in out-of-school activities: nearly 200 supervisors suspended in Paris, all major cities affected
Radio France's investigation unit reveals that the 20 largest French cities are all affected by reports of violence, including sexual violence, committed by out-of-school activity supervisors.
Out-of-school activities: a national investigation reveals failings in all major cities
Radio France's investigation unit questioned the twenty largest French cities on how they manage reports of violence committed by out-of-school activity supervisors. The finding is unanimous: each of them is affected by alerts or suspensions for violence during out-of-school time, and seventeen of them for sexual violence.
In Paris, nearly two hundred out-of-school activity supervisors have been suspended in the space of a year, around sixty of whom have been the subject of serious allegations. The capital has the highest number of cases, but it also has fifteen times more supervisors than Rennes. The Breton city, for its part, suspended three staff members this year for sexual misconduct.
In Marseille, around twenty investigations were opened in a year. Nantes and Villeurbanne each imposed four suspensions. Toulon recorded two reports of touching incidents: one was dismissed without further action, the other could not be established because the first name provided by the child did not match any of the supervisors present. The Toulon municipal authority also dismissed around twenty people who had never reported to their post, illustrating the recruitment difficulties in the sector.
Only Grenoble and Reims report no suspensions. Reims acknowledges, however, that it did not renew contracts for around thirty people, notably due to coarse exchanges or familiarity towards the children.
Several cities — Lille, Montpellier, Strasbourg and Bordeaux — are struggling to account for the situation in the associations to which they have delegated the management of out-of-school activities. However, according to Radio France - Justice, these local authorities remain legally responsible in the event of a serious incident involving these structures.
Nice is the only city to have refused to answer the investigation unit's questionnaire. Yet a supervisor there was placed under investigation in February for rape and sexual assault.
The investigation, also published on Franceinfo.fr by Anne-Laure Barral, highlights the structural failings of a system in which oversight of personnel supervising children outside school hours remains insufficient and unequal depending on the region.
Source: Radio France - Justice