A nursery school assistant in Hérault was indicted and imprisoned as part of a survey for rape and sexual assault on nine children aged three to four years, the Montpellier prosecutor’s office announced Thursday, July 31, 2025.
The 59-year-old woman was employed since October 1, 2024 as a territorial agent (ATSEM) in the Nursery schools in Vic-la-Gardiole, a village of 3,500 inhabitants located in the midst of vineyards by the Mediterranean and very frequented by tourists in summer.
“Placed in pre -trial detention”
“The facts targeted concern acts of digital penetration and masturbation Susceptible to having been committed on young children, between October 1, 2024 and July 2, 2025 in Vic-la-Gardiole, by a specialized territorial agent of nursery schools (ATSEM) in the exercise of its functions “said the prosecutor’s office in a press release.
A judicial information had been opened on July 29 at the Montpellier judicial court, for rapes on minors aged 15 and sexual assault on minors aged 15 per person with authority.
The suspected person was presented to an investigating judge who has “indictment For facts likely to have been committed on nine children aged 3 to 4 years. It was placed in pre -trial detention “.
The investigations continue and were entrusted to the search brigade of the gendarmerie of Castelnau-le-Lez.
“Exceptional severity”
The investigation started following the complaint July 2 by the families of two children. The next day, the ATSEM questioned was the subject of an administrative suspension as a precaution by its employer, the town hall of Vic-la-Gardiole.
Solicited by AFP, the town hall did not wish to react. Some parents of victims were to be received this Thursday at midday by theFrance Victims Association In the town hall premises, according to a gendarme on site.
The journalists present were asked to leave the premises by the parents, who refused to declare any statement.
In a press release, the Montpellier rectorate expressed its “support” and its “solidarity” to children and families concerned by “These facts of exceptional severity”.
“In these particularly difficult circumstancesall educational teams, in close collaboration with the local authority, remains fully mobilized to support students and families “assured the rectorate, which specifies that “All the elements in possession of the services of National Education are naturally transmitted to justice, knowing that the personnel in question belongs to the local authority”.
“Back to school in this school will also be prepared with all the attention it requires in such circumstances. Specific support will be set up for the entire educational community, in order to overcome this test”, Add the rectorate.
