the story of a principal overwhelmed by the fatal spiral – Libération

For six hours, Audrey F., stationed at the Bois-d'Aulne college in 2020, described in detail her attempts to stem the controversy which led to the beheading of the history-geography professor.

She is the central link in a spiral that she tried to stop, but which ultimately escaped her. At the helm, Audrey F. uses a formula which betrays an implacable inevitability: “It’s going to put us in…” The first time, she used it when she discovered a video published on social networks by Brahim Chnina, the father of the family who singled out Samuel Paty for retribution, calling him in particular a “thug”. The former principal of the Bois-d'Aulne college is then on a weekend in the provinces, Saturday October 10, 2020, disturbed by a diffuse feeling “and uncomfortable”. Six days later, the 47-year-old history and geography teacher was beheaded after class by an 18-year-old terrorist, Abdoullakh Anzorov. The school holiday bell had just rung. She says: “I didn’t know how to protect him.”

This Tuesday, Audrey F. delivered testimony of rare rectitude before the specially composed Assize Court of Paris. For almost six hours, the one who comes forward in a dark jacket and suit detailed her attempts to restore public peace within an establishment swept away by the lie of Z., a fourth grade student, and the bad wind blown by two protagonists: