Annecy, a peaceful town in Haute-Savoie, wakes up in shock on Friday (June 9th), the day after a Syrian refugee brutally attacked six people, including four very young children.

The motives of the attacker, who spent the night in police custody, and can remain so for up to 48 hours, remain obscure at this stage, "without apparent terrorist motive" according to the prosecutor's office.

The man, born in 1991, was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Homeless, he had been in Annecy since autumn 2022. A psychiatric examination is scheduled Friday morning, said Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin on TF1 Thursday evening.

"The ongoing investigation will make it possible to determine the motive," Annecy prosecutor Line Bonnet-Mathis said at press briefings Thursday, adding that she could not "exclude at this stage a senseless act".

'Disturbing coincidence'

Abdalmasih H., a Syrian national, was granted asylum in Sweden in 2013 where he lived for 10 years. "He couldn't get Swedish citizenship, so he decided to leave the country. We separated because I didn't want to leave Sweden," his ex-wife told AFP.

This father of a 3-year-old child was in a regular situation when he arrived in France a few months ago. In a new asylum application filed in France in November 2022, he declared himself a "Christian from Syria", according to a police source. And he was wearing a Christian cross when he was arrested.

According to Gérald Darmanin, the French authorities notified him last Sunday, June 4, that he could not obtain asylum in France since he already had it in Sweden. Asked about the possible link between this refusal and the passage to the act, he spoke of a "disturbing coincidence".

Using a "foldable knife type Opinel", the assailant, black shorts and blue scarf tied on his head, attacked the children, according to images of the drama authenticated by AFP. We see him in this video raising his arms to heaven and shouting in English "in the name of Jesus!".

This cry does not in itself justify a referral to the anti-terrorist prosecutor's office, according to a source close to the case, explaining that such a choice has already been made for individuals shouting "Allah akbar" by taking action, but without evidence of jihadist ideology.

'Extremely fragile state'

Four children were injured, including a Briton and a Dutchman. Aged between 22 and 36 months, they were transferred to Geneva and Grenoble after first aid on the spot. They were Thursday afternoon in an "extremely fragile" state of health, according to the prosecutor, "still in absolute emergency".

One adult was hospitalized after being injured by the assailant and then shot by police during the arrest, and another adult was shot lightly.

The attack, which occurred in broad daylight in a busy park by the lake, horrified Annecy residents and the thousands of tourists present at the beginning of the summer season.

A small improvised altar with candles, white roses and messages was erected Thursday night in a corner of the playground where the attack took place. A small crowd of onlookers and journalists gathered there.

The venue also gave rise in the evening to a brief demonstration by far-right activists who defied a ban decree issued by the prefecture. Between 30 and 50 activists sang the Marseillaise and read short statements before dispersing peacefully under the surveillance of the police.

The same activists also later marched through the Old City shouting slogans, with police still nearby.

The attack also sparked an avalanche of reactions in the political world, with right-wing and far-right politicians highlighting the origin and status of the aggressor.

"We are shocked by this odious, unspeakable act," said Elisabeth Borne, who came to the scene on Thursday to "express all the support and solidarity of the nation". President Emmanuel Macron denounced an "attack of absolute cowardice". "The nation is in shock," he wrote on his Twitter account.

Attack of absolute cowardice this morning in a park in Annecy. Children and an adult are between life and death. The nation is in shock. Our thoughts are with them, their families and the relief efforts mobilized.

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) June 8, 2023

With AFP

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