The arrest of a 14-year-old teenager on Monday, September 18, in a college in Alfortville (Val-de-Marne) while he was in class raises questions. The student is suspected of harassing a transgender high school student from another establishment.
The police intervention in class had “shocked” students. Monday September 18, a 14-year-old teenager was arrested during a lesson at the Henri Barbusse college in Alfortville (Val-de-Marne). Handcuffed in front of his classmates, the student is suspected of having uttered transphobic insults and of having incited a transgender high school student from another establishment to commit suicide, according to information from France Bleu Paris.
>> Harassment: after the arrest of a student in the middle of class, “the police do not necessarily have a place in an establishment”, according to the SNES-FSU
THE “shock“of the arrest of this middle school student in the middle of class was shared by students in class, by certain parents of students but also in the educational community: “We believe that the police do not necessarily have their place in a school establishment”reacted Tuesday, September 19 on franceinfo Sophie Vénétitay, the general secretary of Snes-FSU, the first secondary-level union.
The rector of Créteil, Julie Benetti, assures “strongly condemn any act of harassment and cyberharassment”, but says he wants “understand under what conditions police officers may have been required to intervene in a school establishment”.
A “compliant” arrest
If the Créteil public prosecutor’s office indicates that it never asked for the arrest to take place in the classroom, it was made possible because the principal of the college did not object. The head of the establishment must in this case accompany the police to the classroom where the student concerned is located. In other words, without the agreement of the head of the establishment, the police would have had to wait until the minor left the school before arresting him. Generally, “it may happen that the police need to make an arrest in a school establishment. This is not abnormal”indicates the Academy of Créteil.
A memorandum of understanding dating from October 2004 between the Ministries of National Education and the Interior provides, in fact, that a “head of establishment may request, under the conditions provided for by the circular of October 2, 1998 relating to the fight against violence in schools and the strengthening of partnerships, the assistance of police services or gendarmerie units, in particular when situations of danger or disturbance of public order require it“.
The government spokesperson, Olivier Véran, confirmed on Wednesday September 20 that the arrest in Alfortville was made “in accordance with the agreement of the prosecution” and of “the educational team”. “This is how we will cope with the scourge of harassment, this is how we will also protect our children, by sending these very strong messages”he insists after leaving the Council of Ministers.
“This can send a strong signal”
The national secretary of Europe Ecology – The Greens, Marine Tondelier, reacted on Wednesday September 20 to the schoolboy’s questioning. “We have gone from years of inaction or misunderstanding on the subject [du harcèlement scolaire]denial sometimes, and then all of a sudden we are in Walker Texas Ranger”criticizes the elected official from Hauts-de-France on France 2. According to her, this “strong questioning” would have “could wait until recess or the end of classes”.
This method of arrest, a few hours after the filing of a handrail, takes place in a context of increased fight against school bullying on the part of the Ministry of National Education, after the suicide of Nicolas, a 15-year-old high school student. in Poissy (Yvelines), September 5. “It can send a strong signal, recognizes the general secretary of Snes-FSU. Perhaps this is what those who made the decision were looking for.“The union will ask the Minister of National Education how such a decision was taken. Gabriel Attal demanded before the rectors, Monday September 18, a “electroshock at all levels” in the fight against harassment.