An 18-year-old student was detained in western France on Monday after stabbing his schoolteacher in the face and fleeing the scene, authorities reported.
The incident occurred at the Lycee de l’Hyrome in Chemille-en-Anjou. The teacher, who sustained a facial injury, is in stable condition, and the injury is not considered life-threatening, according to a joint statement from local authorities, including the prefect and public prosecutor.
The attack took place on Monday morning when the suspect, armed with a knife, assaulted the teacher. After the attack, the student quickly escaped through a window, abandoning his weapon at the scene. Gendarmes and municipal police later apprehended him.
Authorities noted that the young man had no prior criminal record. They also ensured that counselling services were provided to both students and staff members following the traumatic event.
This stabbing incident is part of a troubling trend in France, where there have been a series of violent incidents in schools involving both teachers and students.
In April, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal announced new measures to combat teenage violence in and around schools. The initiative aims to address security concerns and regain public confidence in the government’s ability to maintain order, particularly ahead of the upcoming European elections.
Recent months have seen multiple high-profile attacks in France. On May 10, a man was arrested for allegedly attacking a woman with a box cutter and subsequently injuring two officers at a Paris police station. Just four days later, three French prison officers were killed, and two others were wounded in an attack on a prison van transporting an inmate who managed to escape.
