two schools vandalized in the middle of the night

Classrooms turned over, books scattered and equipment destroyed: two schools in Beauvais were the target of acts of vandalism on the night of December 23 to 24. The mayor strongly condemns these heinous acts which occurred a few hours before the Christmas holidays. An investigation is underway to find the culprits.

“Unbearable violence”: Beauvais schools ransacked before Christmas

“Obious”, “pathetic”, “inexcusable”: it was with barely contained anger that Franck Pia, the mayor of Beauvais, described the scene he discovered the day after an act of vandalism targeting two city ​​schools. On the night of December 23 to 24, 2024, the Alphonse-Daudet elementary school and an annex to the Perrault nursery school were partly ransacked. Destroyed computers, books thrown to the ground, broken aquariums: nothing was spared by the person(s) responsible for this rampage. “It’s unbearably violent for everyone,” says the mayor.

Two schools ransacked in the night

The events took place on the night before Christmas. The town hall teams discovered a distressing sight within the two schools. At the Alphonse-Daudet school, IT devices, including microphones and computers, were destroyed with hammers. In the annex of the Perrault nursery school, the attackers attacked the aquariums, which were also smashed, leaving several dead fish on the spot. “There was no theft, just a desire to destroy,” explains Franck Pia, still shocked by what he describes as “gratuitous barbarity”.

A message of indignation and firmness

Very quickly, the mayor of Beauvais went to the site to see the damage with his team. He expressed strong indignation at what he considers to be particularly heinous acts a few hours before Christmas festivities: “We are attacking symbols of education, life and the future. This is not just an attack on classrooms, it is an attack on what our schools represent in the eyes of young people.” Faced with this situation, Franck Pia promises a firm and rapid response.

The mayor has already announced that a meeting had been organized with the prefect of Oise. The objective? Strengthen security in schools, in particular by intensifying police surveillance in Beauvais: “There is no question that this type of act will happen again in our schools”.

An ongoing investigation, the community in shock

The police services were immediately mobilized and investigations are underway to identify the perpetrators. Images from surveillance cameras located nearby will be analyzed in an attempt to retrace the events of that night. Several residents of Beauvais, for their part, say they are shocked and saddened by this vandalism. “We are talking about places where our children learn, where they feel safe. Seeing this on December 24 is revolting,” says a mother living in the neighborhood.

In addition to the moral damage inflicted on teachers and students, the financial cost of repairs is likely to be significant for the schools concerned. The city will also have to juggle emergency measures to repair impacted rooms and structural reinforcement of security in establishments.

A bitter conclusion to this Christmas

On this December 24, a day which was to symbolize joy and serenity for children and their families, the school community of Beauvais suffered a shock which will leave its mark. While waiting for light on this affair, one thing is certain: these acts of vandalism shake well beyond the schools concerned, raising questions about the state of mind and the motivations of those who attack these symbolic places. .