Motive still unclear – investigation continues after knife attack in France Vatican: pope survived the second night in hospital well

After the shocking knife attack on a playground in France with four injured children and two adult victims, the work of the detectives is progressing. In the Alpine town of Annecy, where the bloody crime took place on Thursday morning, the prosecutor wanted to inform on Saturday about the status of their investigation into attempted murder. The central theme is the motive of the attacker, who was taken by surprise shortly after the crime, which is still completely dark. The only thing that seems clear is that terrorism probably doesn’t play a role. There are also some indications that the perpetrator has psychological problems.

The arrested young man was psychologically examined on Friday morning. According to the police, he was particularly restless in custody. As the newspaper “Le Monde” reported with regard to the detectives, the attacker initially gave no explanation for his actions, obstructed the arrest and rolled on the ground.

It is known that the perpetrator has only been in France for a few months. The Syrian previously lived in Sweden for ten years, said Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne. Although the man was recognized as an asylum seeker in Sweden, he had also applied for asylum in France in November. This application had been rejected four days before the crime. Whether this could have anything to do with the fact is open.

The police had checked the man on Sunday because he had washed in Lake Annecy, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said, as reported by the newspaper “Le Parisien”. But there was no reason to keep him. The arrested man had no permanent residence in Annecy and apparently spent a lot of time in the park where the crime took place. Because the asylum center in Annecy was overcrowded, he slept in a doorway, reports the newspaper “L’Obs”.

Meanwhile, there was cautiously optimistic news about the health of the four children aged between 22 months and three years who had been attacked by the perpetrator, two of whom were initially in mortal danger. What he heard about the health of the injured children gives hope, French President Emmanuel Macron said after a visit to the hospital. A Dutch girl who was one of the victims is no longer in danger of life, his health is stable, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports. A holiday child from Great Britain was also one of the victims. One of the adults also fought for his life after the attack.

Shortly after the attack, prosecutor Line Bonnet-Mathis said no terrorist motive had initially been established. Alcohol or drugs probably weren’t involved either. According to Prime Minister Borne, the arrested Syrian was unknown to the European security authorities. There is also no evidence of past psychiatric treatment.

(yam/sda/dpa)