Three after-school care workers at a nursery school in Paris’s 16th arrondissement were suspended on Tuesday, September 22, after allowing a 2-year-old boy to leave the premises unaccompanied. The child wandered the streets of the capital for roughly half an hour before a tourist found him near the Trocadéro, directly across from the Eiffel Tower. His parents have filed a complaint against the city.
A 500-Meter Walk Unnoticed
According to the child’s godmother, the boy was supposed to remain in after-school care until 6 p.m. at the Decamps school. For reasons that remain unclear, he left the building at 4:30 p.m. with no adult accompanying him, his Pikachu backpack on his shoulders.
He walked approximately 500 meters through the streets of the 16th arrondissement without anyone noticing his absence. The wandering lasted about thirty minutes.
Rescued by a Tourist
The child’s solitary walk ended when a Japanese tourist spotted him near Place du Trocadéro. She sought help at a nearby café, and the owner called the police, who came to collect the boy.
Meanwhile, his mother had arrived at the school to pick him up. He was nowhere to be found. An alert was issued, and his frantic parents searched for him everywhere.
It took about an hour and a half for police to connect the two cases. Around 7:30 p.m., according to the child’s godmother, the mother received a call from the police station: her son was safe and sound.
Parents File Complaint, City Apologizes
The boy’s parents have lodged a formal complaint. The Paris city government has apologized to the family while denouncing what it called an unacceptable situation.
An administrative investigation has been launched to determine exactly what happened. Pending its conclusions, the three members of the after-school care team have been suspended as a precautionary measure.
- The child, aged 2, left the Decamps nursery school alone at 4:30 p.m.
- He wandered about 500 meters before being spotted near Trocadéro.
- A Japanese tourist alerted staff at a café, whose owner called police.
- The boy was reunited with his family around 7:30 p.m.
- Three after-school staff members have been suspended pending an administrative inquiry.
“All necessary disciplinary and organizational measures will be taken so that such a situation can never happen again,” the city said in a statement.
