French Town Pays Tribute To Those Who Chased Off Knife Attacker
Umer Jamshaid Published June 11, 2023 | 04:00 PM
Annecy, France, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Jun, 2023 ) :Hundreds of residents of the French town of Annecy gathered Sunday to honour the people who rushed to stop a man accused of stabbing six people, including four toddlers, at a playground last week.
Under the radiant sun, in the same park where the tragedy unfolded Thursday, people laid flowers, while on a nearby bench someone had written the Names of the child victims inside a heart.
"It's a strong sign of unity and solidarity that we're all here together," said the city's mayor Francois Astorg.
"We are together. We will face this together," he added, while also paying tribute to those who responded to the attack "with courage and professionalism." They include two municipal agents who tried to stop the attacker with a shovel, a young man renting out pedal boats and a maths teacher who both tried to step in, and a tourist who chased the attacker. A childminder also rushed in to rescue two wounded children.
On Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron met the civilians being hailed as heroes for chasing the alleged attacker from the playground where the stabbings took place.
On Saturday, public prosecutor Line Bonnet-Mathis paid tribute to those who, "by their action, were able to preserve human lives". She also acknowledged the work of the emergency services.
She also announced that the Syrian refugee detained over the stabbings, named as Abdalmasih H, had been charged with "attempted murder".
The attack left the normally peaceful lakeside town in shock. Hundreds of people have laid flowers, soft toys and heart-shaped balloons at the site of the attack.
Abdalmasih H. "did not wish to speak" during his 48 hours in police custody nor before the magistrates leading the investigation, Bonnet-Mathis told reporters on Saturday.
After two psychiatric evaluations, he was deemed "compatible with police custody", and doctors had determined he did not suffer from delusions.
However, she added, it was too early to diagnose or rule out other psychological pathologies.
He has been placed in solitary confinement at the Aiton penitentiary, a source close to the case told AFP.
Bonnet-Mathis also said that the victims of the attack were no longer in a life-threatening condition.
The children, aged between 22 months and three years, were initially hospitalised in a serious condition, while one adult was also seriously wounded and another lightly hurt.
Recently divorced from a Swedish national and in his early 30s, the suspect had previously lived for 10 years in Sweden where he was granted refugee status in April, security sources and his ex-wife told AFP.
He left the country because he had been unable to get Swedish nationality, she added.
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told broadcaster TF1 that "for reasons not well explained he had also sought asylum in Switzerland, Italy and France".
It emerged that his application in France was rejected last Sunday as he already had refugee status in Sweden.
France has been the target of a series of Islamist attacks over the last decade.
According to video taken by a bystander however, the alleged attacker could be heard shouting "in the name of Jesus Christ" during the attack.
While prosecutors say they have not identified a terror motive in the attack, the incident has intensified tensions in France over immigration, with right-wing politicians seizing on the suspect's foreign origins.
burs-jj/fb/lb/giv/yad
Related Topics
Recent Stories
Lebanon state media say two dead in strike on a car in the south
CM Bugti orders to advertise vacant posts of 92 veterinary doctors
Dr Farukh Ali appointed as SSP Hyderabad
VC visits examination centers
Full commission meeting of SPSC held
Minister affirms support for hosting fourth T20 Blind Cricket World Cup in Karac ..
Textile unit imposed fine
PM orders urgent inquiry into Neelum-Jhelum project's technical fault
Ban on polythene bags in Multan from June 5
Hamdard Shoora proposes measures for people's friendly budget
IG Motorway takes significant steps to address overloading issue
Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei share over 7,000 standards
More Stories From Miscellaneous
-
Pakistan gets animated at 77th cannes film festival
2 hours ago -
Japanese singer performed Pakistani, Japanese, English songs at NAPA
4 days ago -
Conducive environment for investors to stimulate sustainable growth
4 days ago -
Initiatives urged to facilitate people in getting access to quality healthcare services
4 days ago -
Hunza-The sleeping beauty
4 days ago -
Collective efforts vital to eradicate drugs addiction
6 days ago
-
Concerted efforts urged to ease traffic flow on city roads
11 days ago -
Land degradation: A threat to food security
11 days ago -
Revamping health sector, a gigantic task ahead
11 days ago -
American band promotes intercultural harmony thru music fusions
12 days ago -
Waste Management – A persistent challenge for MWMC
13 days ago -
Experts for ending child labour
15 days ago