Nice – The incident brings back bad memories: Another priest in Nice (France) has been attacked in a church!
The apparently mentally confused perpetrator came to the church of Saint-Pierre-d’Arène in the city center this Sunday for morning mass. He had a three-inch knife with him – and stabbed the priest several times during the service. In front of the community members!
The pastor collapsed, covered in blood, and a nun was also seriously injured in the attack. Then the police stormed the church and overpowered the knife man.
After the knife attack, the police are in large numbers at the church in NicePhoto: VALERY HACHE/AFP
Forensic workers go to the church to secure evidence therePhoto: Valery Hache/dpa
The attacker was taken to a psychiatric hospital. According to the police, the man, who has no criminal record, comes from Fréjus (France) and had previously been treated. The authorities therefore do not assume that the perpetrator has an extremist background.
A year and a half ago, a similar incident shook the French coastal city of Nice: a 21-year-old Tunisian killed three people, including the sexton, in the Notre-Dame church. He is said to have shouted “Allahu Akbar” over and over again. The act was classified as Islamic terrorism.
However, the most shocking attack in a French church took place on July 26, 2016: in Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray near Rouen, two ISIS terrorists took six people hostage during a mass. Then they cut the throat of Father Jacques Hamel (85) and seriously injured a parishioner. Both attackers were shot dead by the police. In March, a Paris court sentenced three of the attackers’ helpers to lengthy prison terms.
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