
A 14-year-old student attacked his music teacher with a knife at Robert Schuman College in Benfeld, Bas-Rhin, on Wednesday morning. The incident occurred around 8 a.m. as classes were beginning, when the third-grade student assaulted the 66-year-old teacher, injuring her face. Following the attack, the teenager fled the school before being apprehended at the village outskirts.
During his arrest, the minor turned the knife on himself, inflicting serious neck injuries that required emergency transport to Strasbourg hospital. Strasbourg prosecutor Clarisse Taron confirmed that the teenager's vital prognosis is engaged, with the student remaining sedated for at least 48 hours. The teacher, meanwhile, is out of danger with no threat to her life.
The adolescent had a troubled background, having been placed in foster care as an infant and later removed from that environment due to abuse suffered at the hands of his foster family. The prosecutor described him as having a genetic disability inherited from his mother and receiving psychological and psychiatric support through child protective services. He had no prior criminal record but had recently received a temporary school exclusion and been reported to prosecutors for previous concerning behavior.
Authorities revealed the student displayed disturbing interests, including a fascination with weapons, World War II history, and Nazi symbolism. Classmates reported he frequently wore paintball t-shirts and showed signs of self-harm, openly displaying scarifications. While investigators continue to examine motivations, they note it's too early to determine whether the music teacher was specifically targeted in the attack.