The Nantes correctional court (Loire-Atlantique) on Friday sentenced a 50-year-old man to day fines for being hired by a school, after being convicted on several occasions for sexual violence, reports
Ouest- France
.
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In November 2019, a fifty-something, holder of the Bafa and having already been a sports educator in Bordeaux, was recruited by the Léo-Lagrange association, which offers support in “
popular education
”. He was hired for a post of extracurricular reception agent in an establishment located between Nantes and Saint-Herblain. Problem, the individual already has four entries in his criminal record, spanning from 1994 to 2001: indecent assault, incitement to debauchery and sexual assault.
However, these convictions formally prohibit him from working in a sector in contact with minors, as indicated in a 2005 ordinance: “
people who (...) have been convicted for the facts set out in this article in its drafting from this Ordinance are, from the date of publication thereof, incapacitated to practice.
"
An "
internal software error
"
In principle, the agents responsible for recruiting people in contact with minors (rectorates, youth and sports department, town hall, etc.) must check the candidate's criminal record when hiring. According to
Ouest-France
, during his recent hiring in Loire-Atlantique his criminal record was indeed requested, but the person concerned presented a document justifying that he had not yet received it. The Léo-Lagrange association was not able to overcome this pitfall either, because of an "
internal software error
".
The man was therefore hired, worked for three weeks with the children, before being unmasked by the school administration, who had finally recovered his criminal record.
The town hall, then the Nantes prosecutor's office were immediately alerted.
Summoned to the criminal court, he pleaded "
confusion
" more "
than duplicity
", in the words of his lawyer.
The respondent was finally sentenced to a 60-day fine at 5 €.
It is an alternative sentence to prison requiring the convicted person to pay a total fine of 300 euros under penalty of being imprisoned for two months.
For the public prosecutor, it is obvious that the man “
knowingly deceived the vigilance of the services.
"