Shortly before 10 a.m. on Sunday, April 24, a knife attack occurred at the Saint-Pierre d’Arène church in Nice. An individual assaulted Father Christophe, the deputy to Father Gil Florini, and wounded Sister Marie Claude. The assailant, a man, was apprehended by the police.
Father Krzysztof Rudzinski, of Polish origin and who has been serving for several years, is injured in the thorax. He reportedly received about twenty knife wounds; he is in a critical condition, but his life is not at risk.
In a tweet, Christian Estrosi, the mayor of Nice, stated that the alleged perpetrator of the act is a “disturbed” man. This information was confirmed by Bernard Gonzalez, the prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes.
The man is 31 years old. Born in Fréjus and residing in Nice, he was reportedly unknown to the police. Named Kevin, he is of French nationality.
According to a police source, the theory of a terrorist attack has been ruled out. The alleged perpetrator is said to suffer from bipolar disorder and had been under observation at the Sainte-Marie hospital center, which specializes in psychiatric care.
