“There will be no impunity”, promises the Minister of Education

“There will be no impunity” against the perpetrators of the threats of attacks and malicious acts which have targeted nearly 130 high schools and colleges via their digital work spaces (ENT) since last week, promised Tuesday March 26 on France Inter Nicole Belloubet, minister of National Education. These threats have notably been listed in Hauts-de-France, Grand-Est and Île-de-France. Everytime “the public prosecutor’s office has been contacted and an investigation is underway”, specifies the minister. She maintains that “when the perpetrators are known, the sanctions [seront] very heavy”recalling that “This could lead to prison sentences.”

Nicole Belloubet explains that these threats come from hacking of “certain accounts” and “it is not the entire system that is penetrated”. Faced with these threats, the ministry therefore “suspended ENT messaging”. “We identify the hacked accounts and then we will reset them”, she adds. The Minister of National Education assures that it is still “too early to [être] sure of what’s happening”but she maintains that she does not have “indications according to which these were attacks other than French”.

The minister judges “extremely shocking” this situation. She “understand that parents and students are very upset to see certain videos” attached to certain messages. Nicole Belloubet maintains that the government “has implemented the security of staff and students”, also evoking “removal of doubt” carried out by law enforcement. She also discusses the raising of the Vigipirate security plan to its highest level, “emergency attack”, decided after the attack near Moscow. The Minister of National Education promises that‘”absolutely everything” is made “so that parents are reassured and that students can work in peaceful conditions.” “As part of the emergency attack plan, Operation Sentinel allows us to further secure the surroundings of educational establishments”she assures.