Deliberate fires at two Montpellier secondary schools, minor questioned
Two fires broke out on Thursday at the Pierre-Mendès-France and Jean-Mermoz secondary schools in Montpellier. A 15-year-old minor was questioned.
Deliberate fires at two Montpellier secondary schools
According to echo-des-tribunes.com, two secondary schools in Montpellier, Pierre-Mendès-France and Jean-Mermoz, were hit by fires on Thursday 12 November. The rectorate of the academy confirmed that these were deliberate acts of arson. A 15-year-old minor was questioned in connection with the incidents at Pierre-Mendès-France secondary school.
At Jean-Mermoz secondary school, firefighters brought two fires under control: one in a classroom, the other in the toilets. Both fires targeted rubbish bins. Police are continuing their investigations to identify those responsible for the fires, without confirming whether they were students from the school.
The exact damage caused by the two fires remains to be assessed. According to the rectorate, no general evacuation took place, but a "securing of the affected areas" was carried out. The rector of the academy, Carole Drucker-Godard, condemned "unjustifiable acts of violence" presenting "a serious risk to the safety of students and teaching staff".
The incidents occur in a context of tense secondary school mobilisation in Montpellier. The rectorate clarifies that no link has been established for the moment between these fires and protest movements.
In addition, the principal of Jean-Monnet secondary school received death threats on social media. An attempted intrusion was also reported at his school. The rector has referred the matter to the public prosecutor.
Source: TF1 Info