Appearing on LCI on Saturday, Agnès Evren, a senator from Paris , denounced the shortcomings in child protection within schools and after-school programs. She specifically pointed to the division of responsibilities between the Ministry of Education and municipalities, which, according to her, leaves families without a clear point of contact when a serious incident occurs.
For Agnès Evren, the "protection chain" remains too weak today. The senator points out that school hours fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education, while extracurricular activities are the responsibility of local municipalities. This system may function on a daily basis, but, according to her, its limitations become apparent as soon as a serious incident occurs.
She describes the experience of parents who initially contact the school administration only to be referred to the town hall when an incident occurs during after-school activities. On the municipal side, families may then encounter the confidentiality of the investigation or the presumption of innocence. "It's not the information that creates panic, it's this silence," she believes.
"A constant back-and-forth"
Agnès Evren claims to have interviewed several parents who shared the same sentiment. She speaks of a "total and absolute code of silence" affecting, according to her, different levels of the institutional chain: police, justice, national education and municipalities.
The senator particularly denounces a "dilution of responsibilities" and "a constant and endless passing of the buck." This situation, she argues, fosters a profound sense of abandonment and distrust among families towards the institutions tasked with protecting their children.
