On Wednesday, October 7, the former general secretary and human resources director of the City of Paris, Éric Laurier, appeared before a commission investigating violence in after-school programs. He described the administration as having continued to progress, despite concerns raised by senators about unguarded recruitments and unclear chains of responsibility. The hearing, which is part of the commission's broader work on preventing and addressing violence in after-school settings, comes amid growing public concern. Recent press reports have revealed serious incidents involving children, raising fears of a systemic failure. Public authorities are struggling to fully understand the scope of the issue, and trust in local governments and the school system is under strain. The new centrist president of the commission, Pierre-Antoine Lévi, emphasized the need for political leadership and the importance of training and recruiting staff for after-school programs. During the hearing, Agnès Evren, a rapporteur from Les Républicains, highlighted a controversial comment Éric Laurier made in January 2022 during a video call with parents. He had referred to animators who reported abuse as "white knights," a remark that Evren argued could discourage staff from speaking up and make parents feel their concerns were not taken seriously. Laurier apologized, saying the comment was "completely inappropriate," but insisted it was not made in public. Evren countered, noting the meeting had been officially called, and thus the statement was public. Laurier outlined the city's approach to handling different types of violence. For sexual abuse, he said that animators are automatically suspended, regardless of the evidence's strength. However, for educational or physical violence, the response is less clear, with decisions left to a collective analysis between central authorities and local school districts. When asked to clarify the threshold for action, Laurier admitted he could not distinguish between cases like an animator shouting at a child or threatening to turn off the lights. Evren argued that this lack of a clear framework led to inconsistent treatment, potentially harming children's safety. Recruitment practices also came under scrutiny. Evren cited a report from the General Inspection, which highlighted unethical recruitment practices, including uncontrolled interviews and a lack of checks on candidates' criminal records. She noted that some animators were recruited by friends, raising concerns about their suitability to work with young children. Laurier acknowledged that the recruitment process had been overly decentralized in the past but said that changes had been made to ensure checks are now mandatory. Despite these safeguards, he admitted that volunteers, who make up between 14,000 and 15,000 of the animators, are not subject to the same suspension rules as employees. Training for volunteers has also been expanded, though Evren argued it still falls short of protecting children's safety.