Metz: Deliberate fire at François-Rabelais secondary school, investigation underway
A fire broke out on Friday evening at the François-Rabelais secondary school in Metz, destroying the playground and sanitary facilities building. The prosecutor's office is pursuing the line of an intentional act.
Fire at François-Rabelais secondary school
According to Actu17, a fire ravaged the playground and sanitary facilities building at the François-Rabelais secondary school, located in the Sablon district of Metz, on Friday evening around 22:30. The fire was triggered by a car parked near the school and resulted in no injuries. The flames spread rapidly from the vehicle to the playground, then to the building housing the toilets and student lockers. The main building was spared.
About ten emergency vehicles were deployed and the incident was brought under control quickly. According to a police source cited by Radio France, the fire started in vehicles belonging to school staff. Metz's centre-right mayor, François Grosdidier, mentioned two cars belonging to the caretaker.
Investigation for wilful destruction
Forensic officers visited the scene in the evening. David Touvet, prosecutor of the Republic of Metz, was notified shortly before midnight. "A flagrante delicto investigation was immediately opened last evening on the charge of destruction of property by a means dangerous to persons. It is now entrusted to the DCOS of Metz (Division of organised and specialised crime). The line of an intentional act is indeed being pursued. The perpetrator or perpetrators have not been identified at this stage," the magistrate said on Saturday.
Obstacles to investigations
The prosecutor emphasised that the area is not very well covered by surveillance cameras. "We are waiting to have the results. We will examine all the situations. And on the spot the investigators are gathering all the testimonies," explained David Touvet.
Link to secondary school protests?
The magistrate was cautious about a possible link to the secondary school protests that have been continuing for a week. "For the moment, this is a hypothesis that may come to mind given the context, but it is not established at this stage. We will examine all of that," he specified.
François Grosdidier was much more assertive on Saturday morning. The mayor believed the facts were "to be linked without doubt to the secondary school protest". He denounced the action of "groups which act separately and are organised", speaking of "urban guerrilla tactics". On franceinfo, he drew a connection to an attempted fire that targeted the technical secondary school in Montigny-lès-Metz on Thursday.
Reopening expected Monday
The rector of the Pierre-François Mourier academy, the academic director of the National Education Services, the president of the departmental council Patrick Weiten and the school principal met on Saturday morning. The Department assured that classes could resume on Monday. "The staff have secured the site and we will be able to open Monday morning. There will be school except in the affected buildings obviously," said Patrick Weiten. Mobile toilets and wooden partitions could be installed. Electricity was also to be restored before the reopening.
The rector stated during a press conference: "If it is confirmed that this is criminal, it is an attack against all the secondary school pupils and the staff." He called for "restoring dialogue" and announced that he would meet with students shortly.
Source: Actu17