Mother-of-one dies from multiple stab wounds as ‘well-integrated’ pupil turns killer at Paris school – amid 15% surge in blade attacks that has seen 186 knives seized in just two months
A devoted mother who was brutally stabbed to death by a 14-year-old student during a routine school bag check has been named as Melanie G., a 31-year-old teaching assistant who had recently retrained after working as a hairdresser.
The victim, who leaves behind a four-year-old son, suffered multiple stab wounds to her body in what President Emmanuel Macron condemned as a “senseless wave of violence” at the Francoise Dolto School in Nogent, eastern France.
The horrific attack occurred at approximately 8am on Tuesday as pupils arrived for classes and were undergoing visual bag inspections – security measures introduced specifically to combat France’s spiraling knife violence epidemic.
In chilling details emerging from the scene, the teenage killer – described by teachers as “well integrated” with no previous difficulties – pulled out a knife and launched his frenzied assault on Melanie as she simply welcomed students at the school entrance.
‘CARING MUM’ KILLED IN SECONDS
Melanie G., who lived in the small village of Sarcey just six miles from the school, was described by devastated locals as “adorable” with a “caring nature” – a key member of her community who had recently achieved her dream of working in education.
The former hairdresser, who suffered from Crohn’s disease, had only been working at the school since September after retraining to become a teaching assistant.
Nogent will struggle to get over this,” her former customer Dylan told BFMT, revealing the entire town has been left “traumatised” by news of her death.
Before her career change, Melanie had won awards for her hairdressing skills, with her former boss Dauphiné Libéré paying tribute to the dedicated mother who was building a new life for herself and her young son.
One of her cousins, Aurore, confirmed the victim was a devoted mother to a young boy, adding another layer of tragedy to the senseless killing.
THE KILLER: A ‘MODEL STUDENT’
In a shocking revelation, Education Minister Elisabeth Borne described the 14-year-old attacker as coming from a stable two-parent working family who “does not present any particular difficulties.
The teenager had served as an anti-bullying ambassador at the school and had only been suspended twice early in the school year for minor classroom disruptions.
“Young people are shocked,” Borne said at the scene. “They are also very shocked to see that one of their classmates could commit such a horrific act. And this classmate was very well integrated in the middle school.”
The attacker, who has no criminal record, was restrained by police officers who were monitoring the bag inspections. One gendarme suffered slight injuries during the arrest, authorities confirmed.
FRANCE’S KNIFE CRIME EPIDEMIC
The brutal murder has reignited fears about France’s escalating youth violence crisis, with shocking statistics revealing:
- 15% increase in reports of bladed weapons in schools in just one year
- 186 knives seized during 6,000 school checks between March 26 and May 23
- 32 people detained for carrying weapons during the same period
- Multiple fatal attacks in recent months, including April’s Nantes stabbing that left one student dead
The Nogent attack comes just weeks after a 15-year-old boy killed a fellow pupil and wounded three others in a stabbing spree at a high school in Nantes, where the attacker reportedly stabbed his victim 57 times.
That incident saw the killer, who expressed Nazi sympathies and “wanted to bring back the Nazi ideas of Hitler,” target a girl who had rejected his romantic advances during a school trip.
POLITICAL OUTRAGE
The killing has sparked immediate political fallout, with far-right leader Marine Le Pen condemning “the apathy of the authorities” and declaring: “The French people have had enough and are waiting for a firm, uncompromising and determined political response to the scourge of youth violence.
Prime Minister Francois Bayrou announced emergency measures including plans to test security gates at all schools and introduce more stringent controls to prevent minors from purchasing blades online.
The threat of bladed weapons among our children has become critical,” Bayrou wrote on social media, stressing the importance of making the problem “a public enemy.
SCHOOL IN LOCKDOWN
The attack sent shockwaves through the 520-student school, with pupils placed under immediate lockdown before being released to distraught parents throughout the day.
Many students witnessed the bloody scene, with psychological support teams rushed to the school to help traumatized children and staff cope with the horror.
Classes have been suspended for Tuesday and Wednesday as the community grapples with the tragedy.
‘SIMPLY DOING HER JOB’
Teaching union leaders expressed fury that Melanie had been left “exposed” while performing routine security duties.
Teaching assistants have an educational role and are not security guards outside schools,” said Sophie Venetitay, general secretary of the SNES-FSU teachers’ union.
Elisabeth Allain-Moreno of the SE-UNSA teachers’ union added: “She was simply doing her job by welcoming students at the entrance to the school. This shows that nothing can ever be completely secure and that it is prevention that needs to be focused on.”
MACRON’S VOW
President Macron led national mourning for the slain teaching assistant, writing: “While she was looking after our children in Nogent, an educational assistant lost her life, a victim of senseless violence. The nation is in mourning and the government is mobilised to reduce crime.
The president praised the “composure and dedication” of those who subdued the attacker and protected other students and staff from further harm.
As France reels from yet another school stabbing, questions mount over how a seemingly normal teenager could commit such a brutal act – and whether the country’s efforts to combat knife violence are failing its children and those tasked with protecting them.
The investigation continues as prosecutors work to establish a motive for the senseless killing that has robbed a four-year-old boy of his mother and left an entire nation asking: how many more must die before France’s knife crisis is brought under control?
