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French teacher admits inventing ‘Isis attack’

A French nursery school teacher who claimed on Monday morning he was stabbed in his classroom by a man shouting about Isis has admitted to prosecutors that he invented the story.

Published: 14 December 2015 16:53 CET
French teacher admits inventing 'Isis attack'
A forensics police officer at the scene in Aubervilliers. Photo: AFP
The 45-year-old teacher at a school in Aubervilliers, northeast of Paris, was hospitalized with light stab wounds in his side and throat.
 
The local prosecutor said he is being questioned on why he lied about a story which sent shockwaves through France and beyond on Monday.

The man had claimed that the attack had been carried out on Monday morning out the front of the Jean Perrin d'Aubervilliers school, reported TF1 radio.

The teacher said that the attacker had yelled “That's for Daesh, this is a warning”, the paper reported. Daesh is another name for Isis.

The news prompted France's education minister to announce that the government would be stepping up security at schools across the country. 

France forced to step up security at schoolsA forensic expert and a police car are seen outside Jean-Perrin elementary school in Aubervilliers. Photo: AFP

The story was spread far and wide, not least considering that France is on a high state of alert after the terror attacks of November 13th which left 130 dead in Paris.

Just days after those attacks a Jewish teacher was stabbed by three attackers in the city of Marseille, who were shouting anti-Semitic obscenities and expressing support for the Islamic State group, local authorities said.

Last month's attacks saw France impose a three-month state of emergency, and led to a Europe-wide manhunt for suspects who may have been involved.

Education Minister Najat Vallaud-Belkacem said the terrorist threat was “real and permanent (and) all public places deserve protection, particularly schools”.

“We will continue to reinforce security measures at schools in a context where schools feel threatened,” she said.

Rachel Schneider of the main primary school teachers' union SNUipp said the Isis threats had alarmed faculty members.
   
“We have received many calls from colleagues, who are very worried. They don't necessarily think there will be an organised attack, but they fear this message of murderous madness will inspire unstable people to action,” she said.