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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Bill McLoughlin

Annecy attack: Emmanuel Macron visits victims of horrific stabbing

Emmanuel Macron has travelled to Annecy in the French Alps to visit the families and victims who were stabbed.

A 31-year-old Syrian man was arrested after four children, one of whom is a British national, aged between 22 months and three, and two adults - aged 70 and 78 - were attacked in the Alpine town on Thursday.

Alongside his wife, Brigitte, the French President went to a hospital in Grenoble where three of the four children are being treated.

The fourth child is being treated in Geneva, Switzerland.

French prime minister Elisabeth Borne confirmed all four children underwent surgery and “are under constant medical surveillance”.

Ms Borne added that the children were in a stable condition.

Mr Macron then visited emergency workers and one of the adults stabbed on Thursday at a local hospital in Annecy.

Local media reported that the man was hit by a police bullet as well as being stabbed by the attacker.

Mr Macron described the assault as an “attack of absolute cowardice” adding that the “nation is in shock”.

Video of the attack showed a man in dark glasses with a blue scarf covering his head brandishing a knife, as people screamed for help.

He then slashed at a man carrying rucksacks who tried to approach him, seemingly trying to stop the attack.

The suspect remains in custody and was granted residency in Sweden in 2013 although interior minister Gerald Darmanin said the attacker had tried to claim asylum in France and Italy.

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