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French teacher dies after being 'stabbed by parent' French primary teacher 'stabbed to death by parent'
(about 1 hour later)
A 34-year-old French teacher has been stabbed to death in front of her pupils by the mother of one of the students, police say. A primary school teacher in the southern French town of Albi has been stabbed to death in front of her class by a pupil's mother, police say.
The incident took place in at the Edouard Herriot primary school in Albi, southern France, on Friday morning. Fabienne Terral-Calmes, 34, was attacked at the Edouard Herriot school on Friday morning.
Police said the suspect was immediately detained. It is not yet known if her child was in class at the time. The suspect, 47, was arrested at home shortly afterwards, prosecutors say.
President Francois Hollande sent France's education minister to the school to lead the government response. Education Minister Benoit Hamon said she appeared to have a "serious psychiatric disorder", according to initial investigations.
"All state services will be mobilised to take care of these children and the staff who witnessed this awful tragedy," Mr Hollande said in a statement. Sending the minister to the scene, President Francois Hollande pledged that all the services of the state would be "mobilised to take care of these children and the staff who witnessed this awful tragedy".
Education minister Benoit Hamon said the assailant "appears to have a serious psychiatric disorder, according to the initial findings of the investigation". The attack came on the last school day before the summer break, when Ms Terral-Calmes was teaching her class, believed to be aged five to six. She herself was the mother of two young children.
Neither she nor the victim has been named yet. 'Long knife'
The attack - on the last school day before the summer break - has left two young children without their mother. The attacker was bringing her own daughter, aged five or six, to school as usual on Friday when she produced a long knife, French broadcaster France Info reports.
Cardiac arrest She is said to have shouted "I am not a thief" before attacking.
Ms Terral-Calmes was stabbed just once, either in the chest or stomach, according to different reports.
Albi prosecutor Claude Derens was one of the first at the scene.Albi prosecutor Claude Derens was one of the first at the scene.
"When I arrived at the scene they were trying to revive her", he said. "She was in cardiac arrest in her classroom." "When I arrived at the scene they were trying to revive her," he said. "She was in cardiac arrest in her classroom."
Local media reported that the suspect was already known to police over allegations of child neglect.Local media reported that the suspect was already known to police over allegations of child neglect.
She is alleged to have shouted "I am not a thief" before the stabbing, media reports said. France's Le Point magazine reports that the suspect, who was not named officially, later told police her act was justified because "the teacher was bad" to her daughter.
But a representative of school parent groups in the region said there had been no particular problems between the teacher and her attacker, who is believed to have had her daughter in the school for just six weeks.
Analysis: Hugh Schofield, BBC News, ParisAnalysis: Hugh Schofield, BBC News, Paris
Fatal attacks on teachers are of course extremely rare. But there is nonetheless a context to this ghastly event - and that context is the growing problem of violence in French schools.Fatal attacks on teachers are of course extremely rare. But there is nonetheless a context to this ghastly event - and that context is the growing problem of violence in French schools.
Some of that violence is student on student; some of it is student on teacher; but there is also a worrying increase in outbursts of hostility from parents on teachers, especially in junior schools.Some of that violence is student on student; some of it is student on teacher; but there is also a worrying increase in outbursts of hostility from parents on teachers, especially in junior schools.
An official report earlier this year found that almost half of school heads in elementary schools and kindergartens had faced verbal attacks from parents. A small minority of these have also faced physical assault. An official report earlier this year found that almost half of school heads in elementary schools and kindergartens had faced verbal attacks from parents. A small minority of these have also faced physical assault.
The most common pretext for the abuse is that a punishment meted out on a child is unjust. According to the report's author, teachers are getting so anxious that they are shutting themselves off from contact with parents - which only increases the level of mistrust and creates the conditions for more hostility. The most common pretext for the abuse is that a punishment meted out on a child is unjust. According to the report's author, teachers are getting so anxious that they are shutting themselves off from contact with parents - which only increases the level of mistrust and creates the conditions for more hostility.
The pupils who witnessed the attack, reported to be between five and six years old, are receiving counselling. The pupils who witnessed the attack are receiving counselling.
A spokesman for the education minister said that he was "deeply shocked by this crime, which plunges the end of the school year into mourning".A spokesman for the education minister said that he was "deeply shocked by this crime, which plunges the end of the school year into mourning".
"This tragedy confirms there is a need to fight against violence in and around schools, to protect schools, teachers and students," the spokesman said."This tragedy confirms there is a need to fight against violence in and around schools, to protect schools, teachers and students," the spokesman said.
Correspondents say the incident comes at a time of growing concern in France over assaults by parents on teachers.
More than one in 10 teaching staff in France's public education system has reported suffering abuse or threats at work - nearly twice as many as in all other professions, according to a recent study by the French national statistics institute.More than one in 10 teaching staff in France's public education system has reported suffering abuse or threats at work - nearly twice as many as in all other professions, according to a recent study by the French national statistics institute.