Anne Hidalgo, former mayor of Paris, has defended her administration's handling of allegations that it failed to protect children from sexual violence during after-school hours at various schools. The controversy has arisen following complaints from several Parisian families whose children were victims of such incidents. Hidalgo denied the accusations, stating that "all the facts contradict" the claims of failure to assist children in danger. Hidalgo expressed "regrets" for not meeting directly with the families of the victims when reports of abuse surfaced in the spring of 2025 in schools located in the 7th, 11th, and 15th arrondissements. However, she did not offer formal apologies. While meetings were held at the affected schools, Hidalgo did not attend them, citing the challenging political climate as a reason. At the time, the city was in the midst of a municipal election campaign and was still working to "structure the institutional response" to such issues. The mayor pointed to actions she had taken as early as 2015, including efforts to recruit after-school activity animators—individuals who help supervise children during non-school hours. She acknowledged that if further incidents had occurred, it may have been due to "gaps in the net," suggesting that improvements were still needed in the system. Hidalgo also recognized the families' "feeling of abandonment," while emphasizing that she had "tried, attempted, and did everything to protect the most vulnerable and of course the children" during her time in office. Her comments come amid growing public concern over the safety of children in educational settings and the need for stronger oversight and preventive measures. While Hidalgo's defense highlights her efforts, it also underscores the ongoing challenges in addressing such sensitive and complex issues.