Recently, a shocking incident occurred in the southern French city of Montpellier, where a 14-year-old schoolgirl was brutally attacked by three of her peers, causing her to fall into a coma. The incident sparked a nationwide outrage call for action to address bullying and violence in schools.
According to British media on April 5, the victim had woken up from an artificially induced coma in the hospital, but her mother said that her daughter was still traumatized and severely traumatized. There are allegations that the assault may have been caused by bullying and may have been related to the victim's choice of clothing, with some students believing that her dress was "not doctrinal."
The three suspects, a girl and two boys, all 14-year-old students from the same school as the victim, have been arrested by the police. The incident has once again raised concerns about school safety in France, especially in the wake of the tragic murder of two teachers in recent years.
The attack took place outside the Arthur Rimbaud secondary school in the Ramosen-La Parlad district of Montpellier, where the victim suffered serious injuries. President Emmanuel Macron expressed solidarity with the victims and their families and stressed the need for a thorough investigation to reveal the truth behind the attack.
"At this stage, I would be cautious about categorizing things, and I would like to calmly ascertain the whole truth and then draw conclusions," he said.
The Minister of Education, Nicole Belubert, ordered an immediate investigation into the circumstances of the attack and demanded that a report be submitted within eight working days. The purpose of the investigation is to establish the truth of the incident and determine any responsibility.
Prosecutors said one of the defendants had confessed to assaulting the victim. The victim's mother revealed that her daughter had been bullied for the past two and a half years, mainly because of her choice of dress. She was appalled by the possible motive behind the attack and stressed the importance of allowing her daughter to speak freely.
"I don't really understand why this kid keeps attacking [her daughter], but there is something about it. If this is the reason why my daughter was harassed, it is very serious".
The attack took place amid tensions in French schools. In 2020, history and geography teacher Samuel Patti was brutally murdered by an 18-year-old assailant on the outskirts of Paris. In October 2023, another teacher, Dominique Benard, was killed at his school in Arras, causing another shock in France.
In response to the escalating threat, the Minister of Education recently announced the deployment of mobile security forces in schools experiencing difficulties. However, despite these efforts, incidents like the attack on the 14-year-old girl highlight the ongoing challenge of staying safe and addressing underlying issues such as bullying and intolerance.