Annecy stabbing: Syrian man charged with attempted murder of six

A man has been charged with attempted murder following a stabbing incident in the French Alpine town of Annecy, which left six people injured, including four children. The suspect, a 31-year-old Syrian national identified as Abdalmasih H, remained silent during his 48 hours in police custody and when facing magistrates. The victims are no longer in life-threatening condition, according to public prosecutor Line Bonnet-Mathis.

The youngest child attacked is 22 months old, while the other children are aged two and three. Two of the children are French nationals, with the other two being British and Dutch. Two adults also sustained knife wounds during the incident.

Abdalmasih H had been denied asylum in France due to having already been granted permanent residency and refugee status in Sweden a decade ago. At this stage, the motivations behind the attack remain unknown. Bonnet-Mathis stated, “Presently, it is premature to assess his motivations.”

France has experienced a series of violent incidents in recent months, including the fatal stabbing of a nurse in the northern town of Reims in May, and the accidental killing of three policemen by a drunk driver. French President Emmanuel Macron has referred to a “de-civilisation process” taking place in the country, while opposition lawmakers argue that the government has been too lenient on law and order issues.

During a visit to the hospital in Grenoble where the wounded children are being treated, Macron urged caution in drawing conclusions about the case. He emphasised the need for transparency and for measures to prevent such incidents from happening again.