A teacher is stabbed to death by a “devil-possessed” student during class in France

A teacher at a school in south-west France has been stabbed to death by a student in front of a full class, prosecutors have confirmed.

The Spanish teacher, in her 50s, was teaching at the Saint-Thomas d’Aquin Roman Catholic private school in the town of Saint-Jean-de-Luz, near Bordeaux, early this morning when a 16-year-old student burst in and grabbed her a knife on.

She received emergency aid at the scene, but Bayonne prosecutor Jerome Bourrier told AFP she died of her wounds.

“A Spanish class was taking place when the student launched a frantic attack on the teacher,” said an investigative source, adding that the attack took place around 10 a.m. local time.

“She was stabbed through the chest,” they said.

Local media reported that the student may have suffered from mental health issues and was unknown to police prior to the attack.

Sources told French broadcasters BFMTV and le Parisien that the student “heard voices” when he launched the attack and that the student himself confessed to police that he was “possessed by the devil” when he was arrested.

He was taken to the Saint-Jean-de-Luz police station and remains in custody. Officials said at the time of the investigation there was no indication the incident was related to terrorism.

The Spanish teacher, in her 50s, was teaching earlier today at the Saint-Thomas d’Aquin Roman Catholic private school (pictured) in the town of Saint-Jean-de-Luz

The Saint-Thomas d’Aquin school is located in Saint Jean de Luz, a popular coastal town near Bordeaux

“My thoughts are with the family, colleagues and students. I will go to the site immediately,” Education Minister Pap Ndiaye said.

Senator Frédérique Espagnac, representing the Pyrénées-Atlantiques region where the school is located, said she “strongly condemns this act of violence against a teacher”.

The victim was in her 50s, had taught at the school for “a number of years” and was “well-liked and respected,” a source told MailOnline.

The private school with around 1,000 students was cordoned off immediately after the attack until the student attacker was taken away by the police.

“Other students are aware that the attacker had mental health issues,” the source said, adding that special forces have been called in to look after the “mental well-being” of everyone associated with the school.

“I can hardly imagine the trauma this represents at the local level and more generally at the national level,” said government spokesman Olivier Veran.

Other officials compared the tragedy to the death of Samuel Paty, a history and geography teacher, who was stabbed and beheaded by a teenager near his school in the town of Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, near Paris, in 2020.

“It’s a shock. A tragedy reminiscent of the murder of Samuel Paty and other acts of violence against teachers that ended less tragically,” said Stéphane Crochet, general secretary of the teachers’ union UNSA.

“Our thoughts go out to the family of the victim and the entire educational community.”

The aerial photo shows the Saint Thomas d’Aquin School, scene of today’s horrific stabbing

The tragedy happened in the port city of Saint Jean de Luz, a popular tourist destination on the Atlantic coast

Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk