PARIS: A disturbing video showing a preschool teacher beating a three-year-old student in class sparked widespread outrage across France on Tuesday after the footage of the incident went viral online. The footage shows the teacher in a central Paris preschool violently beating the young girl in front of the class.
The incident, captured by a parent present at the school, took place on September 3, the day after French students returned to school following the summer break. In the video, the child can be seen standing next to an overturned chair, visibly upset and crying.
The teacher approaches, grabs the child’s arm, yanks her around, and delivers a hard slap to the child’s back. The girl then runs away, while the teacher resumes her duties as if nothing has happened.
French Education Minister Nicole Belloubet condemned the teacher’s actions as “terribly shocking and unacceptable.” She announced via X (formerly Twitter) that she had “immediately” ordered the teacher’s suspension and the initiation of disciplinary proceedings.
The girl’s family has taken legal action, filing a complaint with the police for violence in a school environment against a vulnerable child. Vanessa Edberg, a lawyer representing the family, said that the child had confided to her mother that she had been subjected to similar abuse the day before.
Edberg said that the teacher appeared to be restrained in her actions due to the presence of the recording parent.
According to an evaluation, the psychological impact on the child has been “severe.” The young girl now shows signs of trauma, including avoiding eye contact with adults and refusing to discuss the teacher.
Philippe Goujon, the mayor of the 15th district in Paris, where the incident occurred, expressed his outrage, terming the teacher’s behavior as “unbearable” and “unspeakable.” Goujon noted that the teacher, who is approximately 50 years old and has worked at the school for around a decade, was known for her experience and familiarity with the school community.
