The 36-year-old mother, placed under examination last night for attempted murder after threatening the principal and a teacher at Clément-Roassal school in Nice, has been placed in provisional detention. Following this assault that occurred on Monday, November 2, Mayor Éric Ciotti announces several measures to strengthen the security of school buildings. Decisions that are already raising questions from Anthony Borré, former Deputy for Security.
The judicial proceedings continue following the events that occurred on Monday, November 2 at Clément-Roassal nursery school, in Nice. The mother of four children, who had detained the principal in her office for nearly an hour, was presented to an investigating judge on Wednesday, November 4, after two days in police custody.
Aged 36, the suspect was placed under examination for attempted murder of a person in charge of a public service mission, unlawful confinement, violation of weapons legislation, and fraudulent possession of administrative documents. The Nice public prosecutor’s office also announced her placement in provisional detention.
During her questioning, the mother initially contested the violence committed in the establishment. However, she acknowledged having fired her weapon several times, specifying that she knew it was empty. The suspect also expressed remorse.
A firearm still missing and several passports seized
The investigation helped clarify the sequence of events and the profile of the suspect. On Monday morning, after entrusting her two youngest children to an acquaintance, the woman presented herself at Clément-Roassal school to request a meeting with the principal. Armed with a knife and a firearm, which she reportedly purchased two days earlier, the mother spent nearly an hour in the principal’s office.
Part of their exchange was filmed on her phone. During this meeting, the suspect mentioned accusations of “sexual assault of which one of her children was allegedly a victim,” according to information provided by the Nice Public Prosecutor, Damien Martinelli. However, no complaint or report had been filed on this matter.
The principal was subsequently struck and threatened with the firearm, which was discharged several times without any projectile being fired. A teacher, encountered as she left the office, reportedly also received a slap and was threatened with the same weapon.
After leaving the school, the suspect was tracked using surveillance camera footage, then arrested at her home, on a nearby street. A search allowed investigators to recover a Laguiole-type knife, the clothing worn at the time of the events, and several passports, some of which may be forged. However, the firearm was not recovered.
The Interior Minister, Laurent Nuñez, mentioned on Tuesday a weapon that was “fortunately fake.” However, the elements collected by investigators point to an automatic pistol. On the video recorded by the suspect, the weapon appears to be “an automatic pistol.” The principal also stated that she “perceived it was made of metal,” according to the prosecutor.
The judicial and administrative profile of the mother has also been clarified. Born in Tunisia, the woman is in an irregular situation in France. Already repatriated to her country of origin in 2019 after being issued an obligation to leave French territory, she was arrested again in France in 2023. Since then, an administrative ban from the territory and a ministerial house arrest imposed on her, notably daily check-ins at the police station. The suspect had also been subject to monitoring for Islamist radicalization.
Her criminal record also includes a prior conviction to ten months imprisonment with a suspended sentence for carrying a Category D weapon, violence in groups, and assault with a weapon.
Finally, the case occurs in a family context marked by another judicial proceeding. The suspect’s former partner was placed under examination for attempted homicide and habitual violence against a spouse. In this case, the mother is a civil party. The man is currently under judicial supervision.
Éric Ciotti announces eleven additional agents and a school audit
Beyond the judicial investigation, the assault has reignited the debate on security in school buildings. Mayor Éric Ciotti announced the deployment of eleven additional street surveillance officers (ASVP) and municipal police around schools. A general security audit is also to be launched in all city buildings.
The municipality also plans the installation, by November 15, 2026, of a new smartphone alert system operating on 4G. This system is to replace the old equipment based on the 2G network no longer in service for a few weeks. Three people per establishment will be able to benefit from it: the principal, the caretaker, and the bursar.
Anthony Borré speaks out
These announcements have, however, raised questions from Anthony Borré, former First Deputy to Christian Estrosi in charge of Security. The opposition municipal representative is asking for explanations in particular regarding the future of VigiNice, an application being tested from December 2025 in six municipal buildings in the Notre-Dame district, including a primary school.
This system was supposed to progressively replace the 1,700 old security boxes linked to the Urban Supervision Center. An assessment of the trial was expected in spring 2026, before a possible rollout to all Nice schools.
“Why was this trial (which was supposed to end in spring 2026, Editor’s note) not expanded to all Nice schools, so that all concerned staff could be immediately informed when a serious incident occurs in their establishment?” asks Anthony Borré. The former deputy demands the conclusions of this test phase as well as a deployment schedule.
The elected official also has reservations about the new system announced by Éric Ciotti. According to him, limiting alerts to three people per establishment does not allow for simultaneous warning of all teachers on their phones, particularly to organize any potential confinement of children. “School security cannot be limited to announcements,” he believes.
The presence of ASVPs in schools is another point of disagreement. At Clément-Roassal, the school council had obtained unanimous agreement in June 2026 to request the assignment of an officer to the establishment, after hesitations expressed in March. On the day of the assault, no officer was specifically assigned to protect the nursery school.
On October 15, the municipality stated it had 39 officers in Nice schools. Five additional recruitments were announced for the end of the school holidays. The city had also ruled out the possibility of redeploying staff to public roads, an idea put forward by Anthony Borré. Françoise Souliman, First Deputy in charge of Security, had then denounced this as “Fake news.”
The former First Deputy now turns this accusation back on the municipality: “Last week, the city promised that requests would be met by the start of the holidays. So the fake news is Éric Ciotti’s.”
For his part, the National Education Minister, Édouard Geffray, announced a visit to Nice at the end of the week. The minister assured that the victims would receive “in the long term, the protection and support they need.”
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