Irish teacher, 41, is stabbed in the back three times by a 13-year-old pupil who smuggled a knife and a molotov cocktail into his fee-paying school in Spain
- Irish teacher, 41, stabbed in the back ‘several times’ by a pupil at Spanish school
- He was writing on a whiteboard at Monteagudo in Murcia when he was attacked
- Police have said that they believe the perpetrator had suffered an ‘anxiety crisis’
- Officers found a molotov cocktail in the 13-year-old’s backpack during a search
An Irish teacher, 41, has been stabbed in the back three times by a 13-year-old pupil who smuggled a knife and a molotov cocktail into his fee-paying school in Spain.
The man, who was identified locally as father-of-two Paul K, was stabbed several times around 10:45am on February 16 after the knifeman crept up on him while he was writing on a whiteboard in front of a full class of students.
The 41-year-old, who was hospitalised after the attack but later released, teaches English and technology at Monteagudo, an all boys school in Murcia, south-eastern Spain.
National Police chief Alfonso Navarro said the pupil had suffered an ‘anxiety crisis’ and a ‘transient psychotic’ episode and that he was receiving counselling while officers ‘get to the bottom of the matter’.
Police said that they found an unused homemade explosive device in the boy’s backpack, though it was not clear if the pupil intended to detonate the molotov cocktail.
An Irish teacher, 41, has been stabbed in the back three times by a 13-year-old pupil who smuggled a knife and a molotov cocktail into his Monteagudo school in Murcia, south-eastern Spain
The boy was reportedly taking medication and was disorientated and in a daze when police officers found him.
Child psychologist Silvia Alava said: ‘They get carried away with an emotional outburst and do things that they later regret.’
Under Spanish law, children under 14 are not criminally responsible.
The pupil, who was enrolled in the school only last year, reportedly showed the weapon to a classmate before the attack.
The teacher was taken to Virgen de la Arrixaca Hospital in Murcia and was later released. His injuries are not believed to be serious.
The stabbing was not the only recent incident of classroom violence, and psychologist Abel Dominguez said the increase may be ‘due to pandemic fatigue’.
An investigation is ongoing.
The pupil, who was enrolled in the school only last year, reportedly showed the weapon to a classmate before the attack (file photo)
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