In the wake of a recent assault on a secondary school in Arras, France, the number of bomb threats across educational institutions has surged alarmingly. French Education Minister, Gabriel Attal, revealed that schools have been targeted with as many as 299 bomb threats since the incident, with 75 of these warnings logged just last Thursday. This represents a significant uptick from the week before, when the Gambetta Middle School in Arras was attacked.
Speaking on the France 2 channel, Minister Attal underscored the gravity of the situation, detailing the 299 threats received by schools, which included the staggering 75 alerts on Thursday alone.
According to reports from Europe 1, the Île-de-France region alone witnessed threats at 33 different schools. To safeguard the students and staff amidst this growing menace, schools in Val-de-Marne have pivoted to remote learning, aiming to continue until the All Saints’ holiday.
The French government is adopting a no-nonsense approach to these threats. Minister Attal highlighted that many of these false alarms have been attributed to students aged between 11 and 14. Consequently, several of them have been apprehended, underscoring the severity of the offense. It’s worth noting that in France, issuing a fake bomb alert is punishable with up to three years in prison and a hefty fine of 50,000 euros. In a related development, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin announced the arrest of 18 individuals for issuing false alerts, particularly in areas like airports and cultural sites.
