Spanish mother kills kindergarten teacher in front of class in southern France

A 34-year-old kindergarten teacher died at a school in southern France on Friday after being stabbed by the mother of one of her pupils in front of the class, the town’s public prosecutor has reported.

Born in Morocco, the alleged killer has Spanish nationality, according to Spanish diplomatic sources in France, who have been unable to determine whether she is a national of any other country.

The motive for the crime remains unknown, but according to TV station BFM TV the suspect shouted “I am not a thief” as she carried out the attack.

When I arrived at the scene, they were trying to revive the teacher in her own classroom”

The incident took place in the town of Albi early on Friday morning at the Edouard Herriot elementary school, which has 284 pupils between the ages of three and 11. Students and teachers were immediately evacuated following the attack. “When I arrived at the scene of the crime, they were trying to revive the teacher in her own classroom via CPR,” prosecutor Claude Derens told news wire AFP.

The victim, who has two children, died two hours after the attack. The presumed killer was arrested barely half an hour after the incident and is now undergoing psychiatric evaluation. Aged 47, she has been on file with police since January for abandoning a 15-year-old minor and obstructing a subsequent search operation.