Following another bloody altercation in Yerres, Essonne, where a 17-year-old high school student was stabbed to death on Monday, Bruno Retailleau and Élisabeth Borne have toughened their stance. In front of the Beaugrenelle vocational high school in Paris, the Ministers of the Interior and National Education promised a "more dissuasive and firmer" response this Thursday, March 27, to curb an "abominable litany" of school violence.
Immediate searches and sanctions
A message has been sent to prefects and rectors: random checks will be carried out in front of schools by the end of the school year. With bags searched, weapons and drugs tracked, the instructions are clear: intensify unannounced operations to "apply pressure." If a knife is discovered, sanctions will be imposed immediately: a fixed fine for adults, and an immediate summons to the police station for minors. "We're not letting anything go," Retailleau insisted.
In a climate of growing tension, the government wants to regain control of school districts, which in some places have become the scene of turf wars between rival gangs. The measure aims as much to protect as to deter: "We need more sanctions," asserts the minister, who makes no secret of his exasperation at the tragedies that have become all too frequent.
This tough strategy, which relies on the fear of control and the certainty of punishment, is part of a broader government effort to restore state authority, particularly in schools, which are considered a threatened republican sanctuary. It remains to be seen whether this policy will be enough to stem the spiral of violence.
