By Sabiu Abdullahi
An 18-year-old pupil was detained on Monday after stabbing his schoolteacher in the face and fleeing the scene, authorities said.
The teacher from Lycee de l’Hyrome in Chemille-en-Anjou, western France, “suffered a facial injury that is not life-threatening”, according to a joint statement from the authorities, including the prefect and public prosecutor.
The attack occurred on Monday morning, and the suspect quickly escaped through a window, abandoning his weapon.
He was later detained by gendarmes and municipal police.
The authorities stated that the young man was not previously known to the police and that counseling was provided to pupils and teachers after the attack.
This incident is the latest in a series of school incidents involving attacks on teachers and school children by their peers in France in recent years.
In response to these incidents, French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal announced measures in April to crack down on teenage violence in and around schools, as the government seeks to reclaim ground on security from the far-right ahead of upcoming European elections.
An investigation into “attempted murder” has been launched.