While the detention centres for minors are meant to ensure the protection of their residents and sometimes bring them back to the right path, the principle of secularism is often disregarded in favour of practices of separatism, according to a report by the Inspectorate General of Justice revealed by Le Figaro on Monday July 5. What is particularly worrying is that the investigation points to the role of educators in these abuses and the acquiescence or impotence of superiors. In these homes or closed educational institutions, the violations of rules mainly concern Muslim separatism and are particularly evident at meal times.
While pupils have the right to receive ” faith-based meals ” at the request or with the permission of their parents, teachers are subject to the principle of neutrality. But in practice, many of them do not abide by this rule and would even encourage minors, regardless of their religion or customs, to follow their example. “Some educationists say that everyone should eat halal because it makes no difference to non-Muslims that way. “Employees are served denominational food on request, under different conditions and with different frequency, depending on the institution,” the report says.
In some cases, it is the more practical constraints that lead centres to turn a blind eye to the issue of religious meals. But the authors of the report denounce behaviour that goes far beyond this: “Some educators wake up young people to fast during Ramadan and break the fast with the minors. Some improvise themselves as spiritual advisors or write ‘Ramadan protocols’ that do not match the reference texts. Others refuse to shake hands with their female colleagues or discuss in Arabic with minors “in the presence of other young people and other colleagues”.
The causes for this situation are to be found in the lack of staff and other resources. In addition to a glaring shortage of spiritual care workers, the hierarchies are said to have little to counter the demands of the scarce educators. This is a point the report warns against, as “it is not uncommon for candidates with criminal records or reported suspicions of violent radicalisation to apply for recruitment interviews or to fill positions as contracted professionals where minors are involved”.