A non‑governmental organisation, Konsent, has published the results of a survey that indicates at least 1.5 % of Czech adults reported a sexual encounter with a teacher while they were in primary or secondary school. The figure is based on 200 testimonies collected for the NGO’s anti‑harassment campaign.

Key findings

The testimonies describe a pattern of grooming, flirtatious comments and other forms of sexual harassment, with female pupils said to be especially targeted. One unnamed witness recounted that a teacher "slept with a student in her third year of high school, brought her underwear to class and showed nude photos in the teachers' lounge". Another witness said a teacher regularly addressed pupils as “babes” during English lessons and made inappropriate remarks about their friends. The same witness suggested that dismissing about 25 % of the teaching staff would be required to eliminate the problem.

A former pupil described the conduct as “highly unprofessional”. Czech law sets the age of consent at 15, but any sexual relationship with a student under 18 is classified as abuse of authority and is a criminal offence.

European context

In France, more than 100 accusations have been made against school monitors who supervise children during breaks and after‑school activities. Germany’s Independent Commission for the Investigation of Child Sexual Abuse estimates that at least one child per classroom has been victimised by staff or peers. Across many European schools, clear procedures for handling sexual misconduct complaints are lacking, and incidents are often concealed rather than investigated.

Policy response

Konsent’s campaign calls on the Czech Ministry of Education to create explicit guidelines that enable schools to hold perpetrators accountable and to introduce compulsory training for teachers on recognising and preventing sexual misconduct. Zuzana Konradova, representing Eurochild, warned that staff training across the EU needs improvement and advocated for a Europe‑wide framework to ensure consistent standards for handling teacher‑student sexual misconduct.

A Konsent poll shows that public opinion in the Czech Republic largely condemns such abuse, although older respondents tend to describe many of the behaviours as “problematic” rather than criminal. Trade unions for educators have expressed concern that mass dismissals could threaten job security, while also acknowledging the need to protect pupils.

The European Commission has highlighted the importance of child‑friendly educational environments, but legislation specifically addressing teacher‑student sexual misconduct remains fragmented across the EU. The Czech findings could therefore prompt a broader examination of school cultures throughout Europe.