In Tourcoing, the student suspected of having slapped a teacher will be tried in December

The student suspected of having slapped a teacher at her high school in Tourcoing (North) on Monday, who allegedly asked her to remove the veil she had just put on when leaving the establishment, obtained, Wednesday October 9, a time before being judged, and will appear on December 11.

“I am sorry for the blows I may have given this teacher”declared the 18-year-old girl, black jacket over white T-shirt, during the immediate appearance hearing during which she obtained this delay.

This final year student in professional hospitality professions will be judged for violence followed by temporary incapacity for work of less than eight days and threatening to kill a person responsible for a public service mission. She was placed under judicial control with a ban on making contact with the victim and appearing at her home or near the school.

The president clarified that the student did not deny having hit the teacher, but disputed the death threats. Stressing that she had no criminal record, the young girl’s lawyer, Ossama Dahmane, estimated at the hearing that her place was not in immediate appearance. He denounced to journalists “a procedure guided by public opinion” and said he hoped that the “media pressure” falls so that his client can arrive calmly at her trial.

Classes suspended

The teacher was not present at the hearing on Wednesday. “My client was shocked because she was only doing her duty and, clearly, for some time the teachers (…) and many other professional bodies are always victims of violence when we want to enforce a rule of law, a principle, safety rules”lamented his lawyer, Eric Cattelin-Denu, to journalists.

He also pointed out that the name of the teacher had “circulated on social networks”. “I hope not [devoir] fear for his safety, but in any case, there is (…) postures that are extremely unpleasant”he added.

Classes, suspended on Tuesday, were canceled on Wednesday to allow “a time of exchange and work” for staff, according to the rectorate.

According to initial investigations, the teacher asked the student “to remove one’s religious veil, before subjecting to insulting remarks”the prosecution said on Tuesday. The teacher then “opposed to his leaving the establishment in order to obtain his identity” and the student then carried “a slap to the teacher, who returned it”. “Several blows, threats and shoving followed”according to the public prosecutor of the Lille judicial court, Carole Etienne.

The teacher filed a complaint. A disciplinary council is also planned.

Support for the educational team

Thursday, the Minister of National Education, Anne Genetet, must go to the Sévigné high school in Tourcoing to “provide support to the educational team”according to his office. “A precautionary measure has already been taken against the student in question to prohibit him from accessing the establishment until his disciplinary council meets”said Anne Genetet, in a press release broadcast on X. “I asked that very firm disciplinary sanctions be imposed given the seriousness of the facts”continues the minister, who specifies that a “mobile security team” was deployed on site Tuesday morning by the rectorate.

In a press release issued on Wednesday, the union representatives of the high school’s educational teams provide their support for their colleague who is a victim of violence, but underline a “uncontrollable and biased enthusiasm” media, social networks and politics. Monday’s events “are part of a series of five cases of physical attacks against female teachers, which have occurred in recent weeks in different contexts”they explain, emphasizing that “the question of secularism only arose in one of them.” Elimination of hours, unfilled teaching positions, lack of nurses, “successive deterioration of our working conditions (…) prevent us from preventing these difficulties, as we always did before they turned into violence”they write.

“I want to give all my support to this teacher from Tourcoing who, while she was simply upholding secularism – our common good – was hit by a student”for his part reacted on “Everyone must support our teachers and condemn this violence against the Republic itself”added the MP.

“All my support to the attacked teacher”for his part reacted the president of the Hauts-de-France region, Xavier Bertrand, “secularism is one of the pillars of the school of the Republic, it cannot be negotiated”.