'Irregular' foster homes under spotlight as French child abuse court case opens

19 people are due to go on trial this Monday for taking in minors into their custody without authorisation – some of whom were allegedly subjected to physical and psychological abuse, humiliation and forced labor.

What has been described as an “out of the ordinary” trial gets underway in the central French town of Châteauroux this Monday regarding dozens of children who were illegally entrusted by the ASE state social care service to foster facilities – which did not have the proper authorisation – between 2010 and 2017.

Some of the families even had their initial approval withdrawn, following convictions for sexual assault on minors, as revealed by investigative media outlet Médiapart.

In all, dozens of children were entrusted to the “Enfance et Bien-Être” association, where irregular "foster homes" were given compensation amounting to at least €630,000 over seven years.

Some of the minors entrusted to the foster families have told of being exposed to various forms of violence, abuse, drug overdoses, forced labour and regular humiliation.

According to Jean Sannier, one of the civil parties' lawyers: “Some of these children have been enslaved, and we were appalled when we discovered the extent of the case”.

A report was then made to the public prosecutor's office, which uncovered repeated acts of abuse committed between 2010 and 2017.


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