France: Armed Mother Storms Nursery School Office

Yesterday in Nice, France, a 36-year-old woman, the mother of a pupil at a nursery school, went to the school armed with a knife and a firearm, with which she threatened the school principal and a teacher before fleeing. She was quickly arrested a short time later. It turns out she is a dual citizen of Tunisian-Italian nationality, who has a previous record for armed assault in France, has been flagged for “radicalization of a terrorist nature”, has been previously removed from France, has returned, and has been again ordered to leave the country. Yet, she is still in France and is now under arrest for this latest offense. She was also granted asylum in Italy in 2022, presumably from Tunisia.

The below article from France 3/France Info is translated by Fousesquawk.

Attack in a school in Nice: Shock and incomprehension, mother of pupil under order to leave French territory already flagged for radicalization.

An attack of unusual violence occurred on Monday, November 2 at the Clement Roassal nursery school in Nice. The mother of a pupil threatened the director of the school with a firearm and struck her before turning on a teacher. Her background raises questions; she has been flagged for radicalization for some time and is also under an order to leave French territory. 

The entire Clement Roassal school is deeply shaken. A psychological support team has been put in place for the personnel of the school and for the children. As for the children, the school has assured the parents that no pupil was present at the scene.

On Monday, November 2, around 9 am, a 36-year-old woman, mother of 2 children enrolled in the school, showed up at the front desk to ask for “an urgent meeting with the director of the school”. Once in her presence, she attacked her with a knife and a firearm, of which she pulled the trigger without it firing. On leaving her office, this mother also attacked a teacher, pointing her weapon in her direction before leaving the school.

The attacker, of dual Tunisian-Italian nationality, was quickly arrested at her residence, where the handgun used was not recovered. She stated she was a nurse’s assistant and was already convicted twice, specifically for armed violence in 2019.

In illegal status

According to a judicial source, the suspect, who had already been the object of a report in 2019, had been flagged in FSPRT, the file for monitoring reports of “radicalization of a terrorist nature”, then was removed. She had already been expelled from French territory under an order to leave French territory (OQTF) before returning in 2023. She is the object of a new measure of removal which is difficult to apply by reason of her responsibility for her 4 children.

Interior Minister Laurent  Nuñez,told Agence France Presse that she “checked in to the police station regularly” and confirmed that this person was, in fact, in illegal status since being reported in 2019 and had obtained asylum in Italy in 2022.

Informed by social media and with no response from the establishment

On Monday at 16:30, it is the end of classes at the nursery school. “Me, it’s my mother; she saw it on social media. And there it was. That’s how we found out. For now, we have no info other than the news, so we don’t know what it’s all about.” Several parents learned about what happened at the school from their children, from social media, and when they tried to call the establishment, they had to wait for a response.

The parents received an email shortly before 4 pm, says a father of a pupil. Like all of the parents waiting here nervously at the exit, they are impatient and anxious to receive their children at the exit “to know what really happened.”

Should they increase security at the nursery school?

“This is my daughter’s class.” ” This is the teacher of her daughter who was attacked. …The director is a sweetheart, and so is the teacher, why do this?” This woman is deeply upset. “This is unacceptable.” She is part of a group of parents who are demanding the presence of an ASVP, a public way safety officer.  It is especially important, as this mother explains, because two ASVPS are at the entrance to the elementary school part of the establishment, but there is nobody in front of the entrance to the nursery school. She says: There was a little incident a few months ago, before the start of the school year; some children got into a fight in front of the gate, and the guard came. Unfortunately, however, we don’t have one.” The ASVP is a municipal officer, so the request has to go to the city mayor. 

On Tuesday morning, Eric Ciotti (Mayor of Nice) attended the return to classes and gave an initial response.

On Tuesday morning, Virginie Gorgone, deputy inspector of DASEN, (Academic Directors of National Education Service) in charge of elementary education in Alpes-Maritimes, visited the teaching personnel and educational community. “At the security level, the presence of the Mobile Academic Security Team is on hand to assure everyone and to allow the resumption of school life,” Virginie Gorgone stated.

The Minister of National Education will visit the site

Edouard Geffray, Minister of National Education, will visit the Clement-Roassal nursery school “this weekend”. The minister stated on the X platform on Tuesday that he also intends, “to personally offer them my support as well as to the staff at the school.” 

The minister assures that protection and support will therefore be put into place. On Monday, a case was opened and assigned to the Judicial Police of Nice, specifically on charges of  “attempted murder of a person charged with a mission of public service”.