This time the tragedy was narrowly avoided. Two months after the death of Dominique Bernard, a French teacher killed in a knife attack at the Gambetta high school in Arras (Pas-de-Calais) on October 13, a teacher was threatened with death by a student this Wednesday morning at Hautes-Ourmes college in Rennes. Aged 12 and in 5th grade, the teenager took out a knife in the middle of class and brandished it towards her teacher who managed to escape.
No one was injured but this attack deeply shocked the students and the teaching team of this establishment located in the working-class district of Blosne, south of Rennes. “It’s very worrying because it’s becoming commonplace in France for a teacher to be attacked,” alarms Justine Marti, departmental secretary Force Ouvrière of the high schools and colleges of Ille-et-Vilaine. At the end of the day, Philippe Astruc, Rennes public prosecutor, held a press briefing on this case. 20 minutes make the point.
What happened this Wednesday morning in this college?
The scene took place a little after 9:30 a.m. during an English class which was held in a half-group. While showing an educational film, the teacher noticed that the student was very agitated. This experienced teacher sat down next to her to ask her what was wrong. In a low voice, the teenager then confided to him: “I’m crazy today, I want to kill someone today, the students who don’t like me and the person in front of me. This happened in Arras and I want to do the same. »
While the teacher was evacuating her class, the student took a 17-centimeter butcher knife from his bag before brandishing the weapon at his teacher. The latter ran away before being brought to safety by a Spanish teacher who was teaching next door. Alerted to the situation, a senior education advisor and a college mediator managed to disarm and control the young girl before the police intervened.
What do we know about this schoolgirl?
She was born in 2011 in Marseille into a family of Mongolian origin. The eldest of four children, she arrived in Rennes in 2012. In a legal situation, his family was not known to the courts. Suffering from behavioral and communication disorders, the teenager nevertheless made a name for herself at the start of the year. While she was attending Chalais college in Rennes, she had already shown up to class with a knife in her schoolbag, without using it this time. She had also insulted and verbally threatened a teacher, which resulted in her being excluded. She joined the Hautes-Ourmes college in September. Located in the working-class district of Blosne, south of Rennes, the establishment, which accommodates around 700 students, is the only college classified as a reinforced priority education network (Rep +).
Did the teenager explain her actions?
Apart from the comments she made to her teacher, the teenager did not explain her actions during her hearing. “We are working to understand the context of this action, why this student came to these extremely serious threats,” underlined Philippe Astruc. Last week, however, an incident apparently took place within the college. Blaming the student for using his cell phone in class, his teacher confiscated it. “But the student had since apologized to him,” assures the prosecutor.
Where is the investigation?
The Rennes public prosecutor’s office immediately opened a criminal investigation into attempted intentional homicide of a person responsible for a public service mission. She was entrusted to departmental security. Transferred to the police station in the morning, the schoolgirl has since been “in detention”, an exceptional measure decided for minors. In view of the teenager’s personality, the prosecutor ordered her psychiatric assessment which is currently taking place at the Rennes University Hospital. “The question of discernment arises for this child and I need to have the opinion of someone who knows,” explained Philippe Astruc, who will decide on legal action once the results are known. “It’s a complex situation from a legal point of view,” he added. We must take into account the seriousness of the facts but also the interests of this child. »
How did the college students experience this tragedy?
As soon as the alert was given, all classes were suspended at the college and students confined in class before the police intervened. They were then able to leave the establishment at the end of the morning under good escort. A listening cell has been set up within the college for the students and the teaching team, all of whom are in shock. It will be active “for several days”, specifies the Rennes academy. Classes should normally resume this Thursday morning.
What are the reactions after this new case of violence at school?
Rector of the Rennes academy, Emmanuel Ethis immediately went there to “provide support to the entire team and ensure that students and staff are taken care of. » In a press release, he “strongly condemns this attack”, also welcoming “the responsiveness of the staff who managed the situation by having an appropriate reaction and thus ensured that no one was injured. » President of the Ille-et-Vilaine departmental council, which is responsible for the colleges, Jean-Luc Chenut also reacted to this “event of particular gravity” and provided his support to the attacked professor as well as to the educational community and college students. “Despite the circumstances, I hope that the most peaceful and secure climate possible can be found within this educational establishment,” he said.