A 52-year-old teacher died after being stabbed on Wednesday February 22 in a high school class where she taught in Saint-Jean-de-Luz (Pyrénées-Atlantiques). The perpetrator, a 16-year-old student, was taken into custody. The Bayonne prosecutor, Jérôme Bourrier, confirmed Wednesday afternoon to the press the opening of an investigation for “assassination” – which means that the investigators retain the possibility of a premeditated gesture. “His condition allows custody”, assured Mr. Bourrier. According to information from Worldthe terrorist motive is not retained at this stage of the investigation, which is moving towards taking into account possible psychiatric disorders of the perpetrator.
This one was “unknown to police”, the prosecutor told reporters. Nor had he been the subject of “reports” at the level of national education, confirmed the minister, Pap Ndiaye, also present on the spot Wednesday afternoon and accompanied by the minister of transformation and the public service, Stanislas Guerini, and Philippe Delorme, the secretary general of the Catholic education, on which the Saint-Thomas-d’Aquin high school depends.
According to a police source contacted by The world, the young man would have entered the class around 9:50 a.m., would have closed the door of the room before stabbing the teacher. He would then have taken refuge in a neighboring room, where he would have been disarmed by another teacher. He would have made incoherent remarks, and in particular spoke of ” possession “, according to the same source. His entourage – family, friends, teachers – will be heard to try to find out if he has been able, in recent days, to make comments or adopt a behavior likely to explain his gesture.
Calm and “plush” school
After being confined to their rooms, the students left the establishment at midday, with the exception of those who were in class with the teacher who was killed, noted a correspondent from Agence France-Presse. The witnesses, students as well as teachers, were taken care of by a psychological unit and the lessons which were to be held on Thursday morning were canceled to continue taking care of the students, Pap Ndiaye then specified to the press, adding that “80 students”from “three second classes”were heard on Wednesday by the cell.
This tragedy occurred in an establishment “serene” And “known for its seriousness”underlined the minister, confirming the image of a calm and “plush” from downtown Saint-Jean-de-Luz, which, according to several sources, did not experience any particular problems related to the school climate. In 2022, the establishment’s bac pass rate was 100%. “Nothing suggested (To) such a terrible tragedy”concluded the minister.
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