A Paris court granted a closed-door trial Tuesday in a case involving sexual assault allegations against a 22-year-old man accused of crimes against three children at a public school, despite objections from the victims’ families, their attorneys, and the prosecution. The decision by the 15th Chamber of the Paris Criminal Court surprised observers in the courtroom, where only four journalists were present. The defendant is the partner of a teacher at the school where the alleged assaults occurred.
The Allegations and Defendant
The man stood accused of sexually assaulting three children, all born in 2021, at École maternelle Grands Champs in Paris’s 20th arrondissement. The case marked the fifth sexual assault case involving minors in Paris school settings to reach court this year, according to court records. Previous cases included a 39-year-old man tried Monday for alleged assaults on nine girls aged 6 to 10.
Through his attorney, the defendant requested that the proceedings be closed to the public. The defense argued that closed proceedings were necessary to protect the children’s dignity given the media environment surrounding such cases, describing it as essential for the “serenity of the debates.”
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Opposition from All Parties
Every party opposing the defendant opposed the request. An attorney representing the civil parties spoke against the motion in the names of herself and her colleagues, stating that the defense’s position appeared ironic given that the accused was invoking children’s interests. The children were not present in the courtroom, and their parents had not requested closed proceedings. The parents wanted the hearings to remain public.
The prosecutor also urged the court to reject the request. “One can understand that the defendant may not want to discuss this case in open court, but that conflicts with the principle of public proceedings,” the prosecutor said, according to testimony. The prosecutor noted that the “media pressure” cited by the defense amounted to four journalists who regularly cover court proceedings.
The court withdrew to deliberate. When it returned, the presiding judge announced that closed proceedings would be granted “to preserve the serenity of the debates,” offering no further explanation for a ruling that satisfied only the defendant. It is uncommon for closed proceedings to be ordered solely at the defendant’s request when victims and their families explicitly object.
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Context of Similar Cases
This case joins four other sexual assault prosecutions involving Paris school settings heard this year. The first case proceeded behind closed doors at the victims’ request, while three others took place publicly. In those public proceedings, journalists did not publish the children’s names, and no incidents were linked to the news coverage.
The court’s reasoning in this instance remains unclear. The decision diverges from established practice in similar cases, where the preference has typically favored public proceedings unless victims themselves request privacy. The ruling means the details of the allegations and the evidence presented will not be immediately available to the public.
Prosecutors and civil attorneys had argued that the principle of open justice served important functions in cases involving allegations against children, particularly when those children and their families preferred transparency. The court did not address those arguments in its brief announcement.