« There has never been any overflows here » – Liberation

The grids remained closed. In front of the Françoise-Dolto college, in Nogent (Haute-Marne), some bouquets were slipped between the bars, at the end of the day, by students returned with their parents, under the gaze of the gendarmes and the twenty journalists present. No words. Just a discreet back and forth, in a commune of 3,500 inhabitants where, usually, it does not happen much.

This Tuesday morning, shortly before 8 am, An education assistant (AED) has been stabbed On several occasions by a third student, during a visual check of the bags at the entrance to this college of 324 students. The operation, organized with the gendarmerie, had been scheduled upstream, as part of the Retailleau-Borne circular, which provides random checks at the entrance to schools. These unexpected controls were put in place following a brawl in March which had caused the death of a 17 -year -old in front of a high school in Essonne. According to the Minister of the Interior, 6,000 checks – carried out between March 26 and May 26 – led to the seizure of 186 knives and 32 police custody. The victim, Mélanie, 31, education assistant since September and mother of a four -year -old boy, did not survive her injuries.

The pupils were confined while the police intervened, before their parents come to pick them up. The 14 -year -old adolescent immediately controlled by the police despite the mild injury of a gendarme, was placed in police custody at the Nogent gendarmerie, located a few hundred meters away. The survey was entrusted to the Chaumont research brigade and the Reims research section. His motivations remain unknown. No information has been communicated on its possible statements.

Hugo, 13, electric scooter in hand, drags on the sidewalk with his boyfriend Luis and his big brother Nathan, who keeps his sunglasses raised on the head. All three are in fourth and third. Hugo attended the scene. “I was there for the excavation. I heard: « Mélanie, she was planted. ” I ran. I saw her on the ground, in blood. «  He says she was « Very kind, pleasant. We often discussed work, college ”. Luis Opine of the head. The three boys stop when a car slows down near them. It is Luis’ mother, who asks them not to speak to the media. They leave without insisting.

Ana, 12, is in fifth. She came to pick up her little brother with her mother, from neighboring primary school. Two long brown braids, a pink t-shirt, a dental apparatus. She says: « I made a line, I was told to pass. I was not searched. Then I heard the alert ringtone. ” With others, she takes shelter in a building, where teachers house. “The teachers believed it was an exercise. Afterwards, we learned what was going on. I was afraid. I can’t tell myself that she died. « 

Several students talk about a supervisor « Smiling », « kind », « who helped for homework ». Matheo, 11, a student of sixth, came to drop a bouquet with his mother. Emma, ​​12, who came with her 17 -year -old sister, a former student of the college: « Why do this? » I feel a lot of sadness. She was super nice to me. ” His sister adds: « There has never been any overflows here. »

Mélanie had worked since the start of the school year as an education assistant. Before that, she was a hairdresser in a living room located at the exit of the town. « She wanted to have more time for her son », tells Mano, manager of the bar-tabac, who describes her as « Someone benevolent ». At the bakery opposite, Valérie is interrupted, moved: “I knew her when she was very young. She was always joyful. ” She starts to cry, goes behind her counter.

The alleged perpetrator had no judicial history. According to the Minister of Education, Elisabeth Borne, who went there, he was « harassment ambassador », did not present any particular difficulty, and came from a family « The two parents work ». He had been temporarily excluded twice at the start of the year for disruption in class. Since then, no reports, according to the establishment.

Mathys, 14, Nike T-shirt and cap, was in his class in fifth. “He sent glaucous videos to Telegram, with stab wounds. He sometimes helped me. He was nice, sometimes agitated. I heard that he wanted to do a dinguerie at the end of the year. ” Alice, in sixth, was with him at the college choir: « I found him funny. I didn’t think he could do that. ”

In Paris, emotion was invited to the National Assembly, where a minute of silence was observed. On X, Emmanuel Macron denounced a « Spring of insane violence », ensuring that the executive is « Mobilized to retreat the crime ». François Bayrou spoke before the deputies. For him, it is not « Not just an isolated fact, it is a drift of society ». He envisages weapon detection gantry at the entrance to establishments,, « In the establishments in which there is disorder », The tightening of the rules on certain knives and a better identification of psychic weaknesses in minors.

He also announced, at 20 hours of TF1, an enlargement of the list of white weapons and the obligation made to the delivery people to ensure that the person receives a package containing a knife ordered online is an adult, two measures to apply « right away ». In establishments, anger rises. « An AED is not a vigil, Recalls Sophie Venetitay, spokesperson for SNES-FSU. She had nothing to do on the front line. ”