President Emmanuel Macron goes Friday to the victims of the Annecy knife attack which affected six people, including four young children, attacked by a Syrian refugee, said the Elysee. “Following the attack that occurred yesterday, the President of the Republic and his wife are today going alongside the victims and their families as well as all the people who in Annecy have contributed to bringing them help and support,” said the Elysée. According to information from Europe 1, he will meet Henri, the 24-year-old man who tried to disarm the assailant.
Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne and Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin had already traveled to Annecy on Thursday, a city in shock after the knife attack in broad daylight in a busy park by the lake.
Four injured babies
The balance sheet is four injured babies, including a Briton and a Dutchman. Aged 22 to 36 months, they were transferred to Geneva and Grenoble after first aid on site. They were Thursday afternoon in an “extremely fragile” state of health, according to the prosecutor, “still in absolute emergency”. An adult was hospitalized after being injured by the attacker and then hit by police fire during the arrest, and another adult was hit more lightly.
An adult was hospitalized after being injured by the attacker and then hit by police fire during the arrest, and another adult was hit more lightly. The attack, which occurred in broad daylight, horrified Annecy residents and the thousands of tourists present at the start of the summer season.
A small improvised altar with candles, white roses and messages was erected Thursday evening in a corner of the playground where the attack took place. The tragedy also gave rise to a brief demonstration in the evening 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 supervision of the police.
The attack also sparked an avalanche of reactions in the political world, with right-wing and far-right elected officials highlighting the origin and status of the aggressor.
The motivations of the attacker remain unclear at this stage
The motivations 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 prosecution. The man, born in 1991, was not under the influence of narcotics or alcohol. Without a fixed address, he had been in Annecy since the fall of 2022.
A psychiatric examination is scheduled for Friday morning, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said on TF1 THURSDAY. “The ongoing investigation will determine the motive,” said Annecy prosecutor Line Bonnet-Mathis on Thursday, adding that she could “not rule out a senseless act at this stage”. 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 three-year-old child was in a legal 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.
Asylum in Sweden
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 acting out, he spoke of a “troubling coincidence”.
Using an “Opinel-type folding knife”, the assailant, in black shorts and a blue scarf tied over his head, attacked the children, according to images of the tragedy authenticated by AFP. We see him in this video raise his arms to the sky and shout in English “in the name of Jesus!”.
This cry does not in itself justify a referral to the anti-terrorist prosecution, according to a source familiar with the matter. Such a choice has already been made for individuals shouting “Allah akbar” (God is the greatest) by taking action, but without evidence of a jihadist ideology, according to her.