A high school student has been arrested in France Wednesday for allegedly stabbing a teacher to death in front of students after hearing voices telling him to do so, reports say.
An investigation has now been opened for suspected premeditated murder into the incident at a private Catholic school in Saint-Jean-de-Luz in southwestern France, Bayonne prosecutor Jerome Bourrier said.
“No words can describe the tragedy that occurred in Saint-Jean-de-Luz,” French government spokesman Olivier Veran wrote on Twitter. “I have a thought for the teacher’s family, her students and for the entire educational community.”
French media reported that the student, born in 2007, said he heard voices telling him to kill the 53-year-old Spanish language teacher, according to The Associated Press.
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Police officers stood outside the entrance of the Saint Thomas d’Aquin school in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, France, following the stabbing there on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023. (AP/Bob Edme)
The student was not previously known to police and justice services, Bourrier said.
No charges have been announced yet and the motive for the stabbing remains unclear.
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The high school student said he heard voices telling him to carry out the stabbing attack, the Associated Press is reporting, citing French media. (AP/Bob Edme)
Education Minister Pap Ndiaye, who travelled to Saint-Jean-de-Luz, said a minute of silence will be held in all French schools on Thursday at 3 p.m.
The motive for the stabbing at the private Catholic school in Saint-Jean-de-Luz remains unclear. (APBob Edme)
He said about 90 students, including those who witnessed the attack, as well as some teachers, are being taken care of by a psychology unit.
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A top government official, speaking anonymously because he was not allowed to discuss the issue publicly, told the AP that the first elements communicated by police suggest the attacker has severe mental health issues.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
