Threat against a principal: the schoolboy presented to a judge for indictment

Europe 1 with AFP // Photo credit: Loic Venance/AFP 4:35 p.m., March 17, 2024

The 15-year-old student, arrested Friday after threatening the principal of a college in the suburbs of Dijon with a knife, was being presented to an investigating judge on Sunday for indictment, giving contradictory versions of his actions, indicated the Dijon prosecutor's office.

The minor “gave two very different explanations”

The minor, "described as difficult" but who only has a criminal record "for acts of willful damage", is brought before a judge as part of a judicial investigation for "attempted intentional homicide against a teacher, person entrusted with a public service mission; intentional violence with a weapon, in an educational establishment and against people entrusted with a public service mission; threats of crimes or offenses against persons against a teacher or member of staff working in educational establishments school; intrusion into a school establishment with a weapon", indicated the Public Prosecutor in Dijon, Olivier Caracotch.

The prosecution also requested his placement in pre-trial detention.

During his police custody, which began on Friday at 3:35 p.m., the minor "never disputed the facts" but he "however gave two very different explanations" of his actions, he said at a press conference.

He first indicated that he had wanted to "crash" his English teacher, a course from which he had been excluded, before changing his mind, because, he said, it was "too serious".

He then said he decided to take her hostage, mentioning the attacks of November 2015 “to give credibility to his project”.

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But later, in police custody, the accused claimed to have been "recruited by acquaintances to kill (his English teacher, editor's note) and three other members (of the college)".

He then claimed to have to be paid for these acts.

But these statements are "not corroborated by any element and could be linked to a desire to give importance to oneself, which was confirmed by an expert psychiatrist", added the prosecutor.

In addition, "the anti-terrorist prosecution gives very relative credit to this latest version", underlined Olivier Caracotch.

A psychiatric expertise, even if it considered that the accused was responsible for the commission of his actions, revealed "a certain number of mental flaws or difficulties", according to the prosecutor.

Olivier Caracotch congratulated the "coolness" of the principal who managed to escape the student, allowing the triggering of the intrusion alarm in the school, as well as that of the maintenance agent.