French prosecutors on Thursday called for a 14-year-old pupil to be formally charged with murder after the fatal stabbing of a teaching assistant, in a case that has shocked the nation and reignited concerns over school safety.
The secondary school pupil was arrested Tuesday after allegedly killing with a knife a school monitor -- a 31-year-old mother of a young boy during a bag search in the eastern town of Nogent.
The latest school attack caused widespread shock in France, with President Emmanuel Macron denouncing a rise in violence.
As the legal proceedings progressed, schools across France observed a minute of silence in tribute to the victim. The gesture, led by the Ministry of Education, served as a national mark of mourning and solidarity.
The alleged attacker, whose identity has been withheld due to his age, is expected to appear before a juvenile judge. Prosecutors have requested that he be placed under formal investigation for murder, the most serious charge under French criminal law.
The case has reignited urgent calls for improved mental health support and tighter security in schools. Education Minister Nicole Belloubet has pledged a full review of school safety protocols.
France to deploy police at schools for spot bag searches in wake of stabbings
‘Intended to kill’
The attack has sent shockwaves throughout France, prompting President Emmanuel Macron to denounce what he described as a disturbing rise in violence.
According to prosecutors, the pupil had told investigators that he intended to attack “any” supervisor after being reprimanded several days earlier for kissing his girlfriend on school grounds.
On Thursday, prosecutors formally requested that the teenager be charged with the “murder of a person carrying out a public service mission” as well as with “intentional violence” against a police officer who was injured during the arrest.
The prosecutor’s office has also applied for the suspect to be held in pre-trial detention, confirmed Dijon prosecutor Olivier Caracotch in a statement reported by AFP.
Regional prosecutor Denis Devallois told reporters on Wednesday that the teenager had admitted to carrying out the fatal stabbing and said he “intended to kill”. As a minor, he faces a maximum prison sentence of 20 years, rather than life imprisonment.
France rolls out school bag searches to combat knife violence
Shock and mourning at Françoise Dolto school
At midday, a minute’s silence was observed in schools across France in honour of the victim, identified by authorities only as Melanie.
France has witnessed several violent incidents in recent years involving students attacking teachers and other pupils. During a cabinet meeting on Thursday, President Macron expressed his concern over what he called a growing normalisation of violence.
“He spoke... of a rise, a disinhibition around violence in our country, for which solutions will clearly need to be found,” said government spokeswoman Sophie Primas, quoting the French president.
In March, police began carrying out random searches for concealed weapons in and around schools.
Classes resumed on Thursday at the Françoise Dolto school where the incident took place. Pupils began arriving shortly after 8 a.m. in silence, escorted by members of staff, according to AFP.
“It’s going to be strange not seeing the monitor anymore,” said Jade, 15.
“I told my daughters to go to the counselling room to talk,” said Danièle Quentin, 52, the mother of three pupils at the school. “It’s going to be hard for the girls, who really liked her,” she added, referring to the victim.
The victim, a former hairdresser, had retrained and begun working at the school in September. She was also a mother to a four-year-old son and served as a local councillor in a village near Nogent. Her family has called for a silent march in her memory to be held in Nogent on Friday.
French PM calls for tighter security in schools after deadly knife attack
Prosecutor Devallois said the suspect admitted that “there was perhaps a link with the fact he was told off by a monitor on Friday, June 6, as he was kissing his girlfriend on school grounds”, though the person he attacked was not the one who had reprimanded him.
“He stated that he had, as early as the next day, Saturday, mulled over a plan to kill a monitor,” the prosecutor added. “He grabbed the largest knife in his home to, in his words, ‘cause the most damage’.”
Devallois said the teenager showed no signs of suffering from a mental disorder, but appeared “detached” and expressed “no regret” for the killing.
Government responds to knife crime and youth violence
In the wake of the attack, authorities have pledged new measures to tackle knife crime among young people. President Macron announced on Tuesday a proposal to ban social media access for children under 15.
Greece has led a proposal—supported by France and Spain—for the European Union to introduce restrictions on children's use of online platforms. Macron warned that France would move forward with its own national ban if EU-wide progress is not made.
