2023-06-08 16:01:00
In France, a knife attack on small children has caused horror. The perpetrator was apparently a Syrian refugee. According to eyewitnesses, the 31-year-old attacked children on a playground in Annecy in the French Alps. Four children were injured, as well as two pensioners. French President Emmanuel Macron spoke of an act of “absolute cowardice”.
A local police spokesman said the alleged perpetrator was a 31-year-old asylum seeker who, in addition to his Syrian passport, was carrying Swedish documents and a Swedish driver’s license. He came to France legally and was not known to the security authorities. A person close to the investigation said his motives were unclear. The anti-terrorist authorities have not yet been asked to take over the investigation. Prosecutors are investigating attempted murder.
France’s Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said the attacker had been arrested. Darmanin and Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne wanted to get an overview on site. The crime happened mid-morning at a playground in Le Paquier park by the city’s lake, which is popular with tourists, is usually very quiet, and offers scenic views of the Alps. Annecy is considered the pearl of the French Alps and is best known as a ski resort.
According to the police, two of the young children are in a life-threatening condition, as well as an adult. Two other children were less seriously injured. The injured children are between 22 months and three years old, the pensioners are 70 and 78 years old. British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said one of the injured children was British. According to local prosecutors, another child is Dutch.
“The nation is in shock,” Macron tweeted. French National Assembly Speaker Yael Braun-Pivet said there was nothing more heinous than attacking children. According to prosecutors, the Syrian was shot by the police when he was arrested and then overpowered. He is being investigated for attempted murder. Videos taken by eyewitnesses show a bearded man in sunglasses storming through the park armed with a knife. (apa / dpa / Archyde.com)
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