The National Education authority in France has formally acknowledged systemic failures in managing allegations of sexual violence involving young children at a nursery school in Strasbourg. During a meeting held this week with concerned parents, Nicolas Feld-Grooten, the Academic Director of National Education Services (Dasen) for Bas-Rhin, issued an official apology on behalf of the institution, admitting that the handling of the situation was unacceptable. [1]
The controversy centers on the Schoepflin nursery school in central Strasbourg, where eleven children were allegedly victims of sexual assaults during the 2025-2026 school year. The suspected perpetrator is a 5-year-old girl whose mother was a teacher at the same school, according to an administrative investigation whose findings were presented to parents on Monday. The gravity of the situation led many parents to protest in mid-September by keeping their children home for a day. [1]
The administrative probe revealed a series of malfunctions within the school's operations, including a critical lack of coordination between teaching staff and extracurricular personnel. The investigation also highlighted a failure in supervision and a delay in communicating the incidents to the parents. Nicolas Feld-Grooten specifically noted that essential educational and psychological support for the victims was not implemented due to a failure in assessing the severity of the situation. [1]
According to the Dasen, the scale of the issue was not fully understood when the first reports emerged in October 2025, and clarity was only achieved in July 2026. He explained that the staff had never previously encountered sexual violence committed by a child of such a young age, which contributed to the administrative shortcomings. While the school director was transferred to another establishment to restore trust with families, no disciplinary proceedings were initiated, as the investigation found no intent to harm or personal fault on her part. [1]
Due to her age, the 5-year-old suspect cannot face criminal prosecution and has been transferred to a different school. To prevent future occurrences, the Academy of Strasbourg is currently developing an intervention protocol. Nicolas Feld-Grooten stated that it is imperative to integrate the specific issue of very young children into the broader action program against sexist and sexual violence. [1]
Providing broader context on juvenile offenders in France, Ministry of Justice data from 2025 indicates that 31% of individuals accused of sexual violence against children were under the age of 13. Within that group of minors, approximately 93% were boys. [1]
- Categories:
- Society
- Entities:
