Paris Educational Home Child Abuse Sparks Investigation and Calls for Reform

A boy's forcible shaving at a Paris children’s home has triggered an investigation and a government push for child protection reform.

    Key details

  • • A mother filed a complaint after her 8-year-old son was forcibly shaved by staff at a Parisian children’s home.
  • • The incident was filmed and shared by staff to humiliate the child.
  • • The Paris prosecutor's office opened an investigation into violence against a minor by persons in authority.
  • • Claire Hédon, Defender of Rights, called the situation appalling and began a facility control mission.
  • • The government announced a new child protection law to be examined in early 2026 following reports of regulatory failures.

In a troubling incident at the Jenner educational home in Paris's 13th arrondissement, the mother of an 8-year-old boy has filed a complaint for voluntary violence after her son was forcibly shaved by staff members in February 2025. The act, filmed by employees and shared on a WhatsApp group purportedly to humiliate the child, has led to an official investigation by the Paris prosecutor's office focusing on violence against a minor under 15 by persons in authority.

Claire Hédon, the Defender of Rights, has condemned the event as "appalling" and initiated a control mission at the facility. The boy’s mother, deeply affected by the incident, sought swift justice through legal channels.

This incident is part of a wider context of child abuse scandals in France that have exposed insufficient protections for minors in care facilities. Consequently, the government has announced a new child protection law aimed at bolstering minimum standards in child care; this legislation is scheduled for examination in early 2026 following a critical investigative commission report highlighting regulatory gaps.

The Jenner case underscores ongoing challenges in safeguarding vulnerable children and has intensified public and institutional demands for reform in child welfare oversight.

This article was synthesized and translated from native language sources to provide English-speaking readers with local perspectives.

The top news stories in France

Delivered straight to your inbox each morning.