France detains 14-year-old student for kn!fe att@ck on music teacher
French police confirmed on Wednesday, September 24, that a 14-year-old student was taken into custody after allegedly stabbing his music teacher during a class in Benfeld, near Strasbourg. The 66-year-old teacher sustained facial injuries but is said to be in stable condition.
Authorities reported that when officers attempted to arrest the teenager, he turned the knife on himself, inflicting multiple wounds and going into cardio-respiratory arrest. He was airlifted to a Strasbourg hospital, where he is currently receiving treatment.
Investigators say the motive for the attack remains unclear. France’s Education Minister, Elisabeth Borne, announced she was traveling to the scene to assess the situation.
An education authority spokesperson told AFP that the pupil had been struggling academically and that the school had already mobilised its educational team to provide him with additional support.
Jacky Wolfarth, mayor of Benfeld — a town of about 6,000 residents — described the stabbing as an “isolated” incident.
Teachers’ representatives expressed concern over the attack, while acknowledging that student violence has become an increasing issue. Jean-Remi Girard, president of the SNALC teachers union, said: “We know that pupils can sometimes go crazy,” pointing to the long-term effects of Covid-19 lockdowns on students’ mental health.
However, he cautioned against extreme measures, noting: “There is no miracle solution. We’re not going to equip our schools with metal detector gates.”
The stabbing comes amid a string of violent incidents in French schools in recent months, which has led some institutions to implement bag checks at their entrances.
