Paris mayor expresses 'deepest regrets' over school monitor sex abuse
The mayor of Paris on Wednesday expressed his "deepest regrets" over multiple cases of physical and sexual assault on children by school staff, admitting there had been a lack of transparency in handling the crisis.
Paris Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire has expressed profound regret over multiple instances of physical and sexual abuse of children by school staff in the French capital. The scandal, which has recently emerged, has left parents in Paris deeply unsettled. Gregoire, who took office this year, acknowledged the city's potential lack of transparency in handling the crisis, particularly due to the absence of regular public meetings with parents and advocacy groups.
Similar to his predecessor, Anne Hidalgo, Gregoire avoided a direct personal apology, stating that the city of Paris never failed to meet legal recruitment obligations. The mayor's remarks came after a Paris court issued the most severe sentence since the allegations surfaced. Michael M., a 38-year-old former school monitor, was found guilty of sexually assaulting nine children aged five to 10 between September 2022 and January 2024.
He received a five-year term, with four years suspended and the remainder served under house arrest with an ankle monitor. Investigations are ongoing to determine if Gregoire and Hidalgo should also face accountability following numerous complaints of mismanagement. Since the beginning of the year, Paris has suspended 132 aides, including 52 suspected of sexual abuse.
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