A 31-year-old teaching assistant was stabbed to death on Tuesday morning outside Françoise Dolto Middle School in Nogent-sur-Marne during a routine school bag check, sparking national outrage and fierce criticism of French President Emmanuel Macron’s government for failing to stem the rise in youth violence.
According to local authorities, the attack occurred during a police-supervised inspection of student bags, a measure introduced earlier this year following a series of fatal youth brawls across France. The suspect, believed to be a teenage student at the school, allegedly produced a knife during the search and fatally stabbed the staff member.
A police officer assisting in the check was also injured during the suspect’s arrest.
BFMTV confirmed the victim had succumbed to her injuries shortly after the attack. Police say the student was subdued immediately and taken into custody. His motives remain unclear.
🇫🇷 A teaching assistant has been seriously injured after being stabbed by a student at a school in France.
The attack occurred at the Françoise Dolto middle school in Nogent (Haute-Marne).
The 31-year-old victim was rushed to hospital. A 15-year-old suspect has been arrested. pic.twitter.com/sytdEZK4mk
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) June 10, 2025
The incident has intensified criticism from conservative figures who accuse the French government of inaction. National Rally de facto leader Marine Le Pen condemned what she called the “trivialization of ultraviolence,” writing on X: “Not a week goes by without a tragedy hitting a school. The French can no longer take it and are waiting for a firm, implacable, and determined political response to the scourge of violence by minors.”
Pas une semaine sans qu’un drame frappe l’école. Désacralisation de la vie, banalisation de l’ultraviolence, encouragée par l’apathie des pouvoirs publics à y mettre fin, explosion du port d’armes blanches, les Français n’en peuvent plus et attendent une réponse politique ferme,… https://t.co/sakDFbf5WY
— Marine Le Pen (@MLP_officiel) June 10, 2025
National Rally president Jordan Bardella echoed that sentiment, declaring: “Every day, France suffers an unprecedented savagery, which spares no place and no territory. The time is no longer for observations: We must act, in an implacable way.”
President Emmanuel Macron expressed condolences on X but insisted his government was working to tackle the epidemic. “While watching over our children in Nogent, an educational assistant lost her life, victim of a wave of senseless violence,” he wrote. “The nation is in mourning, and the government is mobilized to reduce crime.”
Education Minister Élisabeth Borne also called it a “terrible tragedy,” praising the staff and officers who intervened. She announced she would visit the school in person and reaffirmed government support for the local community.
The attack follows a series of deadly incidents in and around French schools. In March, a 17-year-old was killed in a fight outside a school in Essonne, prompting the government to introduce random bag checks. By late April, nearly 1,000 such checks had been carried out, resulting in the seizure of 94 knives. Despite these efforts, critics say the measures have done little to address the root causes of school violence.
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