An investigation was opened after the suspicious fire of a nursery school on the night of Saturday 26 to Sunday 27 December in Étampes, the second in less than a week in this city of Essonne, we learned Tuesday at the Evry prosecutor's office.
Read also: A school ravaged by flames in Essonne during Christmas night
These facts are the subject of a "
suspicion of premeditation
", said the prosecution.
Police officers were attacked by about fifteen individuals who threw stones at them while they were securing the surroundings of the establishment, said a police source.
No injuries are to be deplored.
Three classrooms were partly destroyed, added the town hall of this town of less than 30,000 inhabitants on its Facebook page.
The municipality recalled that another kindergarten had been set on fire in Étampes on Christmas Eve.
"
We do not know if (the two fires) are linked
", the first being a priori the fact that a single individual, said the same police source.
Departmental reinforcements of the national police were sent to Etampes and will remain there "
as long as necessary
", for its part said the prefecture of Essonne.
“
We are dealing with an extremely serious event.
To attack in this way a school of the Republic is a despicable and inadmissible act
”, declared the mayor of the city Franck Marlin (LR), who condemned the lack of staff of the police in Étampes , "
Especially in this period of curfew
".