Press conference on the stabbing of a teacher in Maine-et-Loire: suspect under investigation

At a press conference on Wednesday 29 May, Éric Bouillard, the public prosecutor in Angers, announced that the 18-year-old secondary school student accused of attacking his English teacher with a knife had been charged with three counts of attempted murder. The attack took place at the Lycée de l’Hyrôme in Chemillé-en-Anjou (Maine-et-Loire). The young man is charged with attempted murder of the teacher and two pupils, and has been remanded in custody.

Motivation and premeditation of the attack

The prosecutor explained that the young man admitted to intending to kill, saying that it was a way of relieving himself of the pressure he was feeling and that he wanted to know what it felt like to kill someone. In addition to the attempted murder, he is also under investigation for bringing a weapon into a school.

Details of the incident

On the morning of Monday 27 May, the pupil attacked his teacher with a knife, wounding her in the face. The suspect was taken into custody until Wednesday morning. According to the investigation, the pupil, who was absent for the first hour of class, started his day at 9.45am with his English teacher. At 9.55am, he stabbed his teacher in the face. Thanks to the quick reaction of the other pupils and the teacher, the pupils were able to take cover. The suspect then attempted to attack two other pupils before leaving the school through a window. He was quickly arrested near the station.

The suspect’s behaviour and the investigation

The public prosecutor pointed out that the pupil had never been reported to the judicial authorities before, although his behaviour in police custody was deemed ‘peculiar’ and ‘bizarre’. A psychiatric examination will be carried out as part of the judicial investigation. The pupil told investigators that he had felt victimised for several years and that he had had criminal thoughts in the past.

Premeditation and intent

The suspect said that he had not specifically targeted this teacher, but that she was one of those he would not have excluded from an attack. He also mentioned a list of teachers he would not have attacked. The prosecutor specified that the act was premeditated and that the pupil had two knives in his possession on the day of the attack.

The young man intended his act to be known and did not rule out attacking other people, including pupils.