A primary school teacher has died after being stabbed by the mother of a pupil in front of her class in southern France.
The 34-year-old mother of two, named locally as Fabienne Terral-Calmès, was stabbed in front of a class of five and six-year-olds shortly before 11:00 (10:00 BST) on Friday morning at Edouard Herriot pre-school in the city of Albi, near Toulouse.
The attacker, a 47-year old woman believed to be of Spanish nationality and born in Morocco, was caught within 20 minutes of fleeing the scene, and is undergoing psychiatric evaluation.
Le Monde reports that the woman shouted “I am not a thief” as she attacked the teacher, and was already known to police over allegations of child neglect.
Despite efforts to revive her, Terral-Calmès died in the classroom of a cardiac arrest as a result of her injuries.
The children who witnessed the attack are receiving counselling.
French President Francois Hollande has expressed outrage at the “abominable drama” and sent the education minister to the region in response to the incident.
