A mother suffered serious stab wounds in an attack by an African migrant on Nov. 20 in the Mireuil district of La Rochelle, at rue Ernest-Meissonnier.
At 4:30 p.m., an altercation broke out between neighbors. The migrant, who comes from the Ivory Coast, reportedly has a history of psychiatric disorders.
The 43-year-old suspect attacked the 33-year-old victim with a bladed weapon, according to police, stabbing her multiple times in the chest and face.
After being transported to Poitiers Hospital, she was listed in critical condition and her life was in “serious jeopardy” according to French news outlet Inf-Info.
Police arrested the suspect at 9:00 p.m., and a case for attempted murder was opened. He has no criminal record on his file.
Women’s safety in France has been a major topic, with the French right saying that violence from foreigners represents a major threat.
Earlier this month, French MEP Marion Maréchal wrote: “83% of victims of sexual violence in Île-de-France transport are French, while 61% of those accused of these acts are foreign. The problem is not men, the problem is mass immigration.”
In addition, Astrid Mae, a spokeswoman for the French feminist group Collectif Némésis, said the left’s suggestion that women-only train cars should be implemented is nothing more than a “band-aid” for a social wound.
“There is a problem of massive, uncontrolled immigration. We know that today, 62 percent of sexual assaults on public transport in the Ile-de-France region are committed by foreigners,” she said.
