After French school supervisor stabbing, questions arise over social media ban for under-15s
Following the death of Mélanie G., a school supervisor who was fatally stabbed by a ninth-grade student at the entrance of a school in eastern France on June 10, the president, the prime minister and the education minister all announced a series of measures, including a ban on social media for those under 15. "I am giving us a few months to get European cooperation [to implement this ban]. Otherwise (...) we will start doing it in France. We cannot wait," said Emmanuel Macron. By what means? "We know how to use facial recognition," Macron said.
Did social media play a role in the death of Mélanie G.?
At this stage, it remains unknown. The attack took place at the entrance to a middle school with no particular problems. The source of the weapon used is also unknown for now. Prime Minister François Bayrou announced his intention to implement identity checks when purchasing knives online.
In late April, after a high school student was stabbed to death in Nantes, also by a fellow student, Elisabeth Borne had already mentioned "the influence that social media can have." The suspected perpetrator, whose psychological state was deemed incompatible with police custody, is still hospitalized in a facility specializing in suicide risk.
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France 24
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