Art Teacher Critically Injured in Stabbing Incident by Student

Overview of the Incident

SANARY-SUR-MER, France, Feb 3 (Reuters) - An art teacher was in a critical condition after she was stabbed several times by a 14-year-old pupil during class in a middle school in Sanary-sur-Mer, in southern France, on Tuesday, the local Toulon prosecutor said.

Details of the Attack

The 60-year-old teacher was stabbed three to four times in the torso with a knife in her classroom on Tuesday afternoon, Raphael Balland told reporters. The pupil was arrested and was being detained on suspicion of attempted murder, he added.

Background on School Security

No religious nor political motive could be found for the attack, but there had been tensions between the pupil and the teacher, Balland said. The attacker had no criminal record.

Previous Incidents in France

Security in France's schools has been the subject of intense debate in recent years. In June, then-Prime Minister Francois Bayrou said the government would test adding security gates at schools after a school aide was stabbed during a bag search.

In September, a music teacher was stabbed by a 14-year-old in the face by a student during class in a middle school in northeastern France. And in 2020, the murder of teacher Samuel Paty after he showed pupils caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad in a class on free speech sparked a political uproar.

(Reporting by Dominique Vidalon; Editing by Benoit Van Overstraeten)