Paris nursery school teacher taken into custody after hitting pupil

A teacher at the Frères-Voisins nursery school in Paris was filmed hitting a three-year-old pupil on the back on 4 September. Following a complaint lodged by the child’s parents, the teacher was summoned to the 15th arrondissement police station on Monday 16 September, where she was taken into custody. Her lawyer is also present.

The preliminary investigation, opened by the Paris public prosecutor’s office on 10 September, concerns charges of ‘violence against a minor aged 15 without incapacity’.

Shock for the family

The girl’s mother, Rachel, expressed her despair in an interview on BFMTV on 10 September, saying that her daughter had suffered serious emotional problems since the incident: ‘She cries constantly, refuses to play with her brothers and throws objects on the floor. I need urgent psychological counselling for her.’

Previous incident reported in 2012

In May 2012, another incident was reported concerning a slap given by a school teacher to one of another mother’s children. The mother lodged a complaint with the education authorities, but according to the teacher’s lawyer, the complaint did not give rise to any investigation or administrative action.

Monitoring incidents of this kind remains crucial to guaranteeing the safety and well-being of pupils in schools.