By Lea Mina | Staff Writer and Elvira Abi Zeid | Junior Editor
On Wednesday, February 22, a shocking incident took place in a school in the French town
of Saint-Jean-de-Luz, where a student stabbed a teacher to death. The incident has sent
shockwaves throughout the local community and beyond, raising questions about school
safety and the well-being of students and teachers.
The incident occurred in Saint Thomas Aquinas Catholic middle and secondary school in the
southwestern seaside town of Saint-Jean-de-Luz. The student, whose identity has not been
revealed, reportedly stabbed the teacher with a knife during class. The teacher, Agnes
Lassalle, was rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition.
Officials say the victim was a Spanish language teacher. A source with knowledge of the
investigation told Reuters that the 16-year-old attacker said to another teacher that he was
possessed and heard voices instructing him to carry out the attack.
Pap Ndiaye, the current French Education Minister, said on live television as he was at the
site of the attack, “Nothing allowed to foresee such a horrendous event. The principal as well
and the professor all told me that this establishment was a very calm one known for its
seriousness and the serenity of its educational environment.”
Dr. Olivier Véran, the government spokesman, said that until now there is no obvious and
identified motive for the killing. He did not comment on the current judicial investigation
taking place but expressed and extended the government’s support to the entire educational
community including teachers, principals, parents, and students while recognizing the grave
impact and trauma this incident must have on the local and national community.
A local newspaper reported that the student stood up in class and walked to the door before
turning around and stabbing the teacher, citing two students who witnessed the attack. A
local prosecutor said that the student was being held in custody and that a murder
investigation is underway.
The reasons behind the attack are not yet clear, and investigations are underway to
determine the motives of the student. The incident has sparked outrage among parents,
students, and teachers, who have called for stricter security measures and better support for
mental health and well-being in schools.
Ines, a 16-year-old schoolgirl who was in Lassalle’s class Wednesday, said that the suspect
approached the teacher and “plunged a big knife into her chest without saying anything”.
On Thursday morning, students at Saint Thomas Aquinas Catholic middle and secondary
school honored the memory of 52-year-old Agnes Lassalle, the victim of the recent incident,
by bringing flowers, including white roses.
In the wake of the incident, local authorities have taken action to ensure the safety of
students and teachers in schools. The attack has also reignited debates about the state of
the education system in France whose scene has been rocked by violent attacks. The attack
in Saint-Jean-de-Luz is the first killing of a teacher in France since the October 2020
beheading of Samuel Paty outside Paris by an Islamist radical. In July 2014, a 34-year-old
teacher was stabbed to death in the southern town of Albi by the mother of a pupil. The
perpetrator was later found to be legally irresponsible. A Jewish school was targeted in the
attacks carried out by Islamist gunman Mohamed Merah around Toulouse in 2012, with a
teacher and three pupils shot dead.
The educational landscape in France has been facing numerous challenges in recent years,
including a rise in school violence and a shortage of resources for schools and teachers.
Critics argue that the incident is a symptom of deeper issues within the education system,
including a lack of funding, inadequate support for teachers, and a failure to address the
underlying social and economic factors that contribute to student stress and anxiety.