A 41-year-old Irish teacher was allegedly stabbed in the back three times by a 13-year-old student who reportedly smuggled a knife and a Molotov cocktail into his school in Spain on Feb. 16.
The teacher named Paul K, was identified as a father of two children. He was stabbed multiple times around 10:45 am on Feb. 16 while writing on a whiteboard in front of an entire class of students at an all-boys school Colegio Monteagudo in Murcia.
According to National Police chief Alfonso Navarro, the student who allegedly attacked the teacher had suffered an "anxiety crisis" and a "transient psychotic" episode. The police also identified that he was receiving counseling as they "get to the bottom of the matter." Child psychologist Silvia Alava said, "They get carried away with an emotional outburst and do things that they later regret."
Police found an unused homemade explosive device in the boy's backpack, though it was unclear if the pupil intended to detonate the Molotov cocktail. The teenage boy was reportedly taking medication and was disoriented and in a daze when police officers found him.
The student had been at Monteagudo School for nearly two years after transfer from a private school in nearby El Palmar. He was described as a "normal boy" whose behavior had not been a cause of any concern. The student reportedly showed the weapon to a classmate in the toilet before allegedly attacking the teacher.
His parents are said to have apologized to school administrators. They are expected to be interviewed with their child, so the school can decide on any internal punishment and on whether he continues as a student there. Meanwhile, the regional council has assigned psychologists on standby so they can talk to both the teacher and the student.
The teenager will not face charges, as youth prosecutors confirmed. At his age, he cannot yet be held criminally responsible for his actions under the Spanish penal code. Police in the south-east city of Murcia officially confirmed the young student was spoken to in the presence of his parents.
The Spanish National Police source said, "There's no criminal responsibility here but there is a civil responsibility which will fall on the parents in this case. Here police have acted from a position of protection in line with Spanish legislation concerning minors of this age, both towards the youngster and the teacher. After the initial police response with officers being sent to the scene, a specialist Judicial Police Juvenile Group called the Grume was mobilised to protect the youngster and guard him."
Meanwhile, the victim was taken to Morales Meseguer University Hospital in Murcia and was soon discharged after being treated with a minor stab wound.
