8-Year-Old Boy Brings Knives to French School, Sparks Renewed Safety Debate

Vendôme, France – A disturbing incident at a school in Vendôme, Loir-et-Cher, has brought renewed attention to school safety in France. An 8-year-old student was found to have brought three round-tipped knives to school, reportedly expressing a desire to "kill" his teacher to a classmate. According to Stéphane Javet, the public prosecutor of Blois, the alert was raised by the National Education department on Tuesday afternoon. The boy had confided in a classmate, who then informed an AESH (Accompanying Student in Handicap Situation). The knives were discovered hidden in the boy's locker and were not brandished. "There was no act or attempt," stated the prosecutor. Given the child's very young age, no criminal prosecution can be initiated. However, the parents will be questioned, and the prosecutor has requested a social evaluation by the departmental child protection services. Laurent Brillard, the mayor of the commune, confirmed that the school director subsequently recovered the knives. This incident occurs in the wake of another serious event on June 10, when a 14-year-old student murdered a supervisor in a college in Nogent. These events have reignited discussions surrounding the security of educational establishments. In response, Prime Minister François Bayrou has reportedly assured that the government plans to prohibit the sale of any knife that could be considered a weapon to minors. For context, between March 26 and May 23, 6,000 checks across schools led to the seizure of 186 knives and 587 disciplinary councils related to knife possession, according to the Ministry of National Education.