The queue stretches in front of the ice rink: on this sunny Sunday, the Cannes Christmas market, open since Friday on the Allées, is crowded.
It was here that on Saturday evening, an altercation broke out between a father and a group of young people.
According to several testimonies, a 7-year-old girl was allegedly pushed by teenagers while she was skating. Her father, who was nearby, jumped to defend her.
“We saw him jump over the barrier and punch one of the young peoplesays a witness. It ended there, everyone left.”
Two 17-year-old teenagers taken into police custody
As the father, who came to his daughter's rescue, leaves the scene, he encounters the group of young people again not far from there, on the Pantiero esplanade.
If the circumstances of the new argument which broke out remain unclear, the 36-year-old man was injured by several stab wounds, fortunately superficial. He took refuge with his family in a nearby restaurant, which alerted the emergency services.
Taken care of by the firefighters, he suffers from three wounds on his chest. Transported to Cannes hospital, he was finally able to return home during the night from Saturday to Sunday.
At the same time, two young people, aged 17, present at the time of the events, are arrested by the police and placed in police custody at the Cannes police station, where they were still on Sunday evening. A third member of the group was arrested on Sundayduring the day, in a neighboring town. An investigation was opened by the Grasse public prosecutor's office for violence with weapons, in order to identify the author of the stabbings.
“This act does not call into question the security measures on the market”
The municipality, which provides all its support to the victim, “as well as his partner and his daughter, logically very marked”specifies that “This extremely serious act took place outside the perimeter of the Christmas market and does not call into question the security measures put in place.”
If for a time a security gate was installed during the event, this has not been the case for several years. “It may seem counterintuitive, but an open Christmas market is safer in terms of terrorist risk. For example, an enclosed space does not allow visitors to escape in the event of an incident or crowd movement.”
The City also reminds that a police presence (municipal and national law enforcement) is permanently provided at the Christmas Village, as well as a dedicated private service. “This was reinforced yesterday evening. Numerous random checks are also carried out. It is in particular thanks to this presence, as well as the video protection cameras deployed by the town hall, on and around the site, that two individuals have could be almost immediately arrested Today, the individual who attacked the father of the family last night was also arrested in a neighboring town.
