Four toddlers stabbed in France, government says suspect is Syrian refugee
Two toddlers face life-threatening injuries
Suspect granted refugee status in Sweden - French govt
Suspect convicted of petty fraud in Sweden last year - docs
France in shock, Macron says
Adds detail on suspect in paragraph 5
By Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber
ANNECY, France, June 8 (Reuters) -Four toddlers and two pensioners were stabbed in a knife attack in the tranquil French mountain town of Annecy on Thursday and the government said the suspected assailant was a Syrian refugee.
A video of the attack, taken by a bystander and verified by Reuters, showed the assailant jump a low wall into a children's playground and repeatedly lunge at a child in a stroller, pushing aside a woman who tries to fend him off.
Two of the wounded children and one adult were in hospital in a life-threatening condition, while the other victims were less seriously hurt.
Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said the suspected attacker, who was in police custody, was a 31-year old Syrian national who was granted asylum in Sweden 10 years ago. He had entered France legally, she said, and was carrying Swedish identity documents and a Swedish driving licence.
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said France had rejected an asylum request made by the suspect earlier this month, and that he had been carrying "certain Christian religious insignia".
The local prosecutor leading the investigation said there was no indication that terrorism was the assailant's motivation. The suspect was under investigation for attempted murder.
The four children were just toddlers, aged between 22 months and three years, Annecy prosecutor Line Bonnet-Mathis told reporters.
One of them was a British national, another was Dutch, Bonnet-Mathis said.
As the assailant, who wore a blue-chequered headscarf and sunglasses, slashed at his victims, one bystander tried to stop him by throwing his backpack at him, the video showed.
Police have not publicly released the suspect's name.
A woman identified as his ex-wife told BFM TV that her former partner was a Christian.
"He does not call me for four months. (Our relationship) stopped because we lived in Sweden and he did not want to live in Sweden anymore," she told BFM TV, adding that he had not previously shown a violent streak.
French news agency AFP reported the assailant was carrying a prayer book on his person when he launched his attack.
COURT CONVICTION
The incident took place at around 0745 GMT in Le Paquier park in Annecy, a town in the French Alps.
"He clearly targeted the babies," a witness who gave his name as Ferdinand told BFM TV.
President Emmanuel Macron said his country was in shock, calling the attack "an act of absolute cowardice".
Swedish court documents seen by Reuters showed the suspect - whose name Reuters confirmed with police - was fined for fraud in Sweden in 2022 for claiming unemployment and student benefits at the same time.
The ruling said that he had struggled financially and at one point had to sell his wife's jewellery to make ends meet.
The attack ended when police shot at the attacker and then overpowered him, an eyewitness video verified by Reuters showed.
He was not injured, the prosecutor said.
Several witnesses described Le Paquier park as an usually tranquil place popular with tourists for its stunning views of Lake Annecy and the mountains.
"It's a place where babysitters and parents take young children to play. I often see around 15 toddlers there in the morning, and the atmosphere is fantastic," said Yohan, who works at an ice-cream parlour just opposite the park.
France has been shocked by a number of violent incidents over the past few months, including the fatal stabbing last month of a nurse in the northern town of Reims.
Macron has denounced what he calls a "de-civilisation process" in the country, while opposition lawmakers say his government has been too lax on law and order.
"Nothing more abominable than to attack children," National Assembly speaker Yael Braun-Pivet said on Twitter. Parliament observed a minute of silence to mark the incident.
FACTBOX-Attacks in France in recent years nL1N3800UK
Knife attack on toddlers in lakeside park stuns picturesque French town nL1N38014I
Reporting by Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber in Annecy and Benoit Van Overstraeten, Geert De Clercq, Juliette Jabkhiro, Layli Foroudi, Nicolas Misculin, Bertrand Boucey and Michel Rose in Paris
Writing by Geert De Clercq, Silvia Aloisi and Richard Lough
Editing by Toby Chopra, Frances Kerry and Andrew Heavens
Pinakabagong Balita
Disclaimer: Ang mga kabilang sa XM Group ay nagbibigay lang ng serbisyo sa pagpapatupad at pag-access sa aming Online Trading Facility, kung saan pinapahintulutan nito ang pagtingin at/o paggamit sa nilalaman na makikita sa website o sa pamamagitan nito, at walang layuning palitan o palawigin ito, at hindi din ito papalitan o papalawigin. Ang naturang pag-access at paggamit ay palaging alinsunod sa: (i) Mga Tuntunin at Kundisyon; (ii) Mga Babala sa Risk; at (iii) Kabuuang Disclaimer. Kaya naman ang naturang nilalaman ay ituturing na pangkalahatang impormasyon lamang. Mangyaring isaalang-alang na ang mga nilalaman ng aming Online Trading Facility ay hindi paglikom, o alok, para magsagawa ng anumang transaksyon sa mga pinansyal na market. Ang pag-trade sa alinmang pinansyal na market ay nagtataglay ng mataas na lebel ng risk sa iyong kapital.
Lahat ng materyales na nakalathala sa aming Online Trading Facility ay nakalaan para sa layuning edukasyonal/pang-impormasyon lamang at hindi naglalaman – at hindi dapat ituring bilang naglalaman – ng payo at rekomendasyon na pangpinansyal, tungkol sa buwis sa pag-i-invest, o pang-trade, o tala ng aming presyo sa pag-trade, o alok para sa, o paglikom ng, transaksyon sa alinmang pinansyal na instrument o hindi ginustong pinansyal na promosyon.
Sa anumang nilalaman na galing sa ikatlong partido, pati na ang mga nilalaman na inihanda ng XM, ang mga naturang opinyon, balita, pananaliksik, pag-analisa, presyo, ibang impormasyon o link sa ibang mga site na makikita sa website na ito ay ibibigay tulad ng nandoon, bilang pangkalahatang komentaryo sa market at hindi ito nagtataglay ng payo sa pag-i-invest. Kung ang alinmang nilalaman nito ay itinuring bilang pananaliksik sa pag-i-invest, kailangan mong isaalang-alang at tanggapin na hindi ito inilaan at inihanda alinsunod sa mga legal na pangangailangan na idinisenyo para maisulong ang pagsasarili ng pananaliksik sa pag-i-invest, at dahil dito ituturing ito na komunikasyon sa marketing sa ilalim ng mga kaugnay na batas at regulasyon. Mangyaring siguruhin na nabasa at naintindihan mo ang aming Notipikasyon sa Hindi Independyenteng Pananaliksik sa Pag-i-invest at Babala sa Risk na may kinalaman sa impormasyong nakalagay sa itaas, na maa-access dito.
