On Thursday, a man, believed to be in his 30s, stabbed several young children and at least one adult in a lakeside park in the French Alpine town of Annecy. The attack left some victims with life-threatening injuries and has been described by French President Emmanuel Macron as an act of “absolute cowardice.” Macron also said that “children and an adult are between life and death” and that the “nation is in shock”. Police have since detained the attacker.
According to local and national police reports, the four children victims are all under the age of five. A witness told BFMTV that at least one child was attacked in a pushchair by the man who approached and “started stabbing”. National police confirmed that two of the children, both aged about three, suffered life-threatening injuries.
An adult also suffered life-threatening injuries, whilst a second adult was hurt and was being treated in the hospital. Local politician Antoine Armand spoke to BFMTV from the National Assembly building in Paris and stated that the children were attacked in a playground in the park and that they were “savagely attacked”. Armand described the victims, who included “very young” children, as critical.
An ice cream seller who works in the waterside park said he had seen the attacker there several days before, looking out at the lake ringed by mountains. A witness also claimed that he saw the man attack an elderly man, jumping on him and stabbing him repeatedly, and shouted at police to intervene.
In response to the attack, politicians in Paris interrupted a debate to hold a moment of silence for the victims. The assembly president, Yael Braun-Pivet said: “There are some very young children who are in critical condition and I invite you to respect a minute of silence for them, for their families, and so that, we hope, the consequences of this very grave attack do not lead to the nation grieving.”
This attack in Annecy has shocked France and is a reminder of the continued threat of violence in public spaces. It also highlights the importance of police intervention and action during violent attacks and the role played by witnesses in reporting them. The motive for the attack remains unclear at present, and investigation continues.
