These have been terrible days in France. On Thursday, a 15-year-old girl was stabbed to death and several of her classmates wounded at a private school in Nantes. It was an attack of singular ferocity. The victim, who was stabbed 57 times, was killed by a fellow pupil, a boy her own age. According to police, he had no ‘clear motive’ for his crime.
On Friday a 20-year-old, named by police as Olivier H, walked into a mosque in southern France and told Aboubakar, a 24-year-old of Malian origin, that he would like to pray. Aboubakar, who performed odd jobs in the mosque, led Olivier into the prayer room and together they knelt. Olivier then produced a knife and stabbed Aboubakar to death. As he filmed the death throes of his victim, the killer insulted Allah and stated his intention to kill again. A huge manhunt was launched, but late on Sunday night Olivier handed himself in to police in Florence, Italy.
Cases of murder, attempted murder and rape have all risen in recent years
The third death to shake France was that of an off-duty police officer.
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