False bomb threats: four high schools in Val-de-Marne switch to remote classes

2023-10-19 21:32:10

They will not return to their school until the All Saints holidays. In four high schools in Val-de-Marne, classes are taught only remotely, from this Thursday until Friday. In the Édouard Branly high school (Créteil), as well as at the Samuel de Champlain high school (Chennevières-sur-Marne), the measure has been applied since this Thursday morning. Following new bomb threats that occurred this Thursday morning, the measure was extended from the beginning of the afternoon to the François Arago high schools in Villeneuve-Saint-Georges and Langevin Wallon high schools in Champigny-sur-Marne.

A decision taken due to the increase in false bomb threats in public places, including schools. The Minister of National Education Gabriel Attal recorded on Monday 168 incidents of this type that had occurred in primary, middle and high schools since the start of the school year in September. The Vigipirate plan has also been elevated to the “emergency attack” level since the death of French teacher Dominique Bernard, killed in a knife attack on October 13, at the Gambetta high school in Arras.

“We will not give in”

And the high schools of Val-de-Marne are particularly affected by these lures. On Monday, a press release from the Créteil public prosecutor’s office indicated that, since the start of the school year in September, “more than 25 educational establishments in Val-de-Marne have been targeted by more than fifteen bomb threats”, which had the consequences of “seriously disrupting the functioning of the colleges or high schools concerned” and led to the mobilization of “exceptional police resources”. Since the beginning of October, investigators from the Val-de-Marne judicial police have arrested 7 minors suspected of being the perpetrators of these malicious phone calls. Aged 13 to 16, they will all have to explain themselves to the children’s judge.

“Despite everything, people continue to have fun at this sad and irresponsible game. We must show that we will not give in,” deplored this Thursday to Le Parisien the rectorate of Créteil, which claims to take into account the “disorganization of school time and team fatigue”. Students who do not have a sufficient Internet connection to follow distance learning courses will be welcomed in the establishments, which will fully reopen their doors upon return from vacation, that is to say on Monday, November 6, specifies the rectorate.

Once the person is found, they risk a lot. “The fact of communicating or disclosing false information with the aim of making people believe that destruction, damage or deterioration dangerous to people is going to be or has been committed is punishable by two years’ imprisonment and 30,000 euros. fine”, recalls article 322-14 of the Penal Code. The penalty can be increased to 3 years of imprisonment and a fine of 45,000 euros if the person directly threatens destruction, damage or deterioration dangerous to people, specifies article 322-13 of the Penal Code.