France seeks clampdown on teen violence after boy's fatal stabbing

RFI

30 April 2024 at 2:13 am·1-min read

France's government has sought wide political support to respond to teen violence after a 15-year-old boy was stabbed to death by another teenager at the weekend, the latest in a string of youth attacks that have shocked the country.

French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal has scheduled a series of meetings with parties across the political spectrum.

France has seen a series of attacks on adolescents by their peers in recent weeks, with far-right and conservative politicians citing the violence as they slam the government's immigration policies, weeks before European Parliament elections.

In the latest attack, a 15-year-old was killed in a brawl in the central French town of Chateauroux on Saturday.

The suspect is a boy of "Afghan origin", a source close to the investigation told French news agency AFP.

He and his 37-year-old mother were detained and expected to appear before a judge on Monday, with prosecutors saying there is evidence suggesting that she might have been involved.

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The motive for the street fight was not immediately clear. However, the same source said it "had nothing to do with Islamism".

Earlier this month Attal announced a series of measures to crack down on teenage violence in and around schools as the government seeks to reclaim ground on security from the far-right ahead of June elections.

Attal and Bardella are set to meet on Thursday.

"This is very hard for the town," Avérous told AFP.