With the Paris mayoral election approaching, a new grim scandal regarding child sexual abuse threatens to undermine the candidacy of former Deputy Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire.
French public radio published a report earlier this week stating that three lawsuits had been filed against a Paris nursery worker for alleged sexual assault of minors. The worker had already been the subject of complaints over alleged shouting and physical abuse of children at another city nursery. However, instead of taking appropriate action against the worker, the city administration transferred him to another school.
Rachida Dati, who left her post as French culture minister to run for mayor of Paris, said on Thursday that members of her group on the City Council had “warned” Grégoire as early as 2015. At the time, the Socialist candidate was deputy mayor of Paris in charge of public employment. Dati accused the outgoing administration of having “given sexual predators a second chance.”
Grégoire, for his part, has rejected any attempts to blame him for possible omissions. He said that he has not been “at City Hall for almost two years.” He dropped his role as deputy mayor for a seat in the French parliament in 2024. “I am no longer in charge and have never been in charge of this matter,” he added in an interview with FranceInfo on Thursday.
Over the past few months, several other reports containing similar allegations have come to light. Dati brought up a man who claimed his 5-year-old daughter had been abused at a city facility when she presented her platform in February.
In addition, Dati is the local mayor of Paris’s 7th arrondissement, where the kindergarten nursery worker worked before his transfer. Mediapart’s investigative report stated that one of Dati’s advisers was informed of the situation, but noted that she would not have had the authority to dismiss the employee.
The first round of voting will take place on Sunday. Grégoire is currently leading in the polls, but the outcome will remain uncertain until the second round on 22 March. Dati has promised to strictly enforce laws that prohibit adult employees from being alone with children in schools and to increase background checks on new recruits. Grégoire’s platform includes similar promises.
