France debates bill to protect children in wake of school abuse scandal • FRANCE 24 English

Added: 2026-06-03

[00:00:00]To better protect children at schools in France, that's the ambitious goal of a new law being debated at the National Assembly. The bill's sponsors are hoping lawmakers will be able to see beyond party lines.

[00:00:14]>> We should cross the political spectrum.

[00:00:16]Our challenge is time. I think that everyone wants to vote on this law, but behind it there needs to be a number of reasonable amendments.

[00:00:23]>> The legislation comes in the wake of a parliamentary investigation following the Better Arms scandal which broke last year. It exposed decades of abuse at the Catholic run school in southwestern France.

[00:00:36]The bill proposes the state formally recognizes its responsibilities for allowing misconduct to continue, a remembrance day for victims, and an extension in the statute of limitations for reports of child sexual abuse. New screening measures will also require staff working in schools to provide regular background checks, and measures to prevent sanctioned offenders from moving from one establishment to another. While many provisions in the text have broad support, they could be pushed back when it comes to increased government oversight at private institutions.

[00:01:07]The latest move to better protect school children comes as authorities grapple with an ongoing scandal of abuse at numerous after-school programs in France.