5-year-old taken to police station
Schoolgirl Leá was escorted out of her school canteen by police because her parents had not paid their meal bills
FRANCE’S ‘Rights Defender’ is investigating after a five-year-old was taken out of a school canteen by police because her parents had not paid their bills.
A municipal police officer took “Léa” out of school before deciding to give her something to eat at the police station instead.
The headteacher of the Saint Vincent infants’ school in Ustaritz, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Laurent Aguergaray, said that when Léa came back in the afternoon the other children were astonished. "They thought she was in prison. The teacher had a discussion with the whole class to try to calm things down.”
The child’s father told Sud Ouest his daughter was very shocked when the police officer arrived, thinking that her parents must have died.
The headteacher said he had not been aware of the problem, canteen payments being dealt with by the mairie.
Mayor Dominique Lesbats told the paper he had not given an order to take the girl out of the canteen. He said: “I am perfectly aware of the commotion that can cause. We are talking about a context of canteen bills not being paid. The two parents had been warned. There are procedures that we are obliged to apply.”
However, the police union said the policewoman reported receiving orders from the mairie. The union said she acted with “common sense” in taking the girl back to her offices to give her lunch.
The parents, who are separating, reportedly owe €170 to the council for canteen fees.
National Rights Defender Dominique Baudis (charged with defending the public’s rights in disputes with officials) said he was “deeply shocked” and had opened an enquiry.
Education Minister Vincent Peillon called the incident “an act of scandalous violence,” adding: “I ask everyone to avoid this kind of thing... there may be difficulties with parents, but one must never go after the children.”
Photo:Screen shot from LCI
