A 60-year-old arts teacher was seriously stabbed by a 14-year-old student at her school in Sanary-sur-Mer, Var, on Tuesday, February 3, 2026. The teenager was placed in custody for attempted murder, with no apparent religious or political motive. Education Minister Édouard Geffray visited the scene and said the victim's condition is stabilizing after surgery.
The attack occurred around 2 p.m. at Collège de la Guicharde, a public school known for its calm in this affluent seaside town in Var. The teacher, who had worked at the school for 28 years and was the sole arts instructor for 500 students, received three to four knife wounds to the abdomen and left arm, in front of 22 third-grade students during a break. The 14-year-old student of Tahitian origin fled the classroom before being apprehended without resistance by staff in the courtyard. He was then seen in a panic in the restrooms, banging his head against the walls and shouting that he had killed his teacher.
Toulon Prosecutor Raphaël Balland opened an investigation for attempted murder. The teenager was not known to police but had been flagged for behavioral issues and placed under educational supervision ordered in September 2025 by a children's judge, following suspicions of family violence against his younger sister in March 2025. Students reported he had shown the knife handle and voiced intent to stab the teacher, with whom he had tensions over disciplinary reports. Some students knew about the weapon but said nothing.
Evacuated to Toulon military hospital, the victim emerged from surgery in the evening, her life no longer in danger according to Minister Édouard Geffray, who arrived around 8:45 p.m. «I address you with great pain», the minister stated, offering thoughts to the teacher's family and praising the teams' composure. A psychological support unit will open Wednesday for students and staff; classes are suspended that day and will resume Thursday under adapted conditions.
Geffray mentioned 12,000 search campaigns around schools since March 27, 2025, leading to 1,686 disciplinary hearings, including 364 knives seized in spring. In Var, 168 checks yielded nothing at Collège de la Guicharde. «Nothing explains, excuses, or justifies touching a teacher», he stressed, calling for collective de-escalation of violence involving parents, officials, and schools, while pointing to video games and social media. Var Prefect Simon Babre described it as an «isolated act» in an exemplary institution. Political reactions followed, including support from Marine Le Pen decrying the «savaging» of teachers.
