French police arrest man after knife attack on three women in Paris
Three women, including one pregnant victim, were injured in a knife attack near Porte de Clichy. A suspect has been detained while investigators weigh terrorism against mental instability.
French police arrest man after knife attack on three women in Paris
French authorities detained a 31-year-old man on Monday, after he attacked three women with kitchen knives in the northwestern part of Paris. The incident took place around 11:30 a.m. Near Porte de Clichy, specifically close to the tram stop and the Les Deux Coupoles brasserie.
The attacker targeted women aged 19, 24, and 36. According to the mayor of the 17th arrondissement, one of the victims was pregnant. Two of the women sustained serious injuries to the waist and abdomen and were transported to the hospital in conditions initially described as absolute urgency
. A third victim reported less serious injuries.
Video footage aired on the social platform X and verified by Reuters shows a man with long black hair wearing a cream tracksuit. In the footage, he wields one large knife in each hand while stabbing a young woman. The recording later shows the assailant immobilized on the floor, surrounded by a group of bystanders who stopped him. Two knives were seen abandoned at the scene.
An off-duty police officer witnessed the suspect injuring passersby and reported the incident to colleagues. The officer followed the suspect and assisted in the arrest with the support of another patrol. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez praised the officer, stating,
"I pay tribute to him, it was a courageous act,"
Laurent Nuñez, Interior Minister, via gmanetwork.com
The motive for the attack remains under investigation. While the suspect was arrested at the scene, reports indicate he continued roaming the streets with the knives following the initial attacks. During his arrest, the man appeared confused, disoriented, and his declarations were described by Nuñez as incoherent
and disjointed sentences
.
Conflicting interpretations of the attacker's intent have emerged from initial statements. Some reports indicate the suspect claimed divine command for his actions. According to sources cited by the French press, the man was filmed saying, Allah ordered me to do so
, while other reports state he claimed, God sent me to kill women
.
These statements led investigators to initially consider the possibility of terrorism. The French national anti-terrorist prosecutor's office is currently in observation and is following the investigations conducted by the Paris Prosecutor's Office to determine if a formal anti-terror investigation is necessary.
However, other authorities are leaning toward the possibility that the man was in a mentally unstable state or suffering from a mental disorder. Nuñez has urged caution in interpreting the motive given the suspect's disjointed communication.
The identity of the 31-year-old suspect has not yet been verified. The judicial police have been entrusted with the investigation to clarify the reasons behind the attack and the exact dynamics of the incident.
