After the knife attack in France with four injured children and two adult victims, the perpetrator has been arrested for attempted murder. The 31-year-old man remained silent about his motive in police custody and before the investigating judge, prosecutor Line Bonnet-Mathis said in Annecy on Saturday. All victims are out of danger.
There is still no evidence of a terrorist background. The man had been psychiatrically evaluated and there was no evidence of delusions, Bonnet-Mathis said.
The perpetrator behaved restlessly during the interrogation
Police had said the man arrested Friday morning was particularly unsettled in custody. As the newspaper “Le Monde” reported with regard to the detectives, the attacker initially gave no explanation for his actions, obstructed the arrest and rolled on the ground.
Asylum application rejected four days before the crime
It is known that the perpetrator has only been in France for a few months. The Syrian previously lived in Sweden for ten years, said Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne. Although the man was recognized as an asylum seeker in Sweden, he also applied for asylum in France in November. This application had been rejected four days before the crime. Whether this could have anything to do with the fact is open.
No permanent residence
The police had checked the man on Sunday because he had washed in Lake Annecy, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said, as reported by the newspaper “Le Parisien”. But there was no reason to keep him. The arrested man had no permanent residence in Annecy and apparently spent a lot of time in the park where the crime took place. Because the asylum center in Annecy was overcrowded, he slept in a doorway, reports the newspaper “L’Obs”.
On Saturday, the four children between the ages of 22 months and three years who had been attacked by the perpetrator were all out of danger. One of the adults also fought for his life after the attack.
Shortly after the attack, prosecutor Line Bonnet-Mathis said no terrorist motive had initially been established. Alcohol or drugs probably weren’t involved either. According to Prime Minister Borne, the arrested Syrian was unknown to the European security authorities. There is also no evidence of past psychiatric treatment.
Source: Krone
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