Responding in her own way, via intermediary interview, to the sister of the teacher murdered in 2020 by an Islamist terrorist, Nicole Belloubet estimated on Tuesday that the State was not responsible for the death of Samuel Paty. The Minister of National Education was questioned on this subject by Apolline de Malherbe on BFMTV and RMC:
“There are undoubtedly things that could have been done better, however I am not sure that we can say that the State has a share of responsibility in the assassination of Samuel Paty
,” she declared.
Before adding, however, that
“this terrorist assassination, which had a great impact, was an electric shock for the State: it led us to have the firmness to which I demonstrate here, and to which my predecessors also demonstrated; and to put in place security procedures for our educational teams
.
A few days earlier, Apolline de Malherbe had received Mickaëlle Paty and asked her what, according to her, the teacher died of:
"from abandonment"
, replied Samuel Paty's sister. Confronted with this response, Nicole Belloubet corrected Mickaëlle Paty's comments, without saying a word to the bereaved family of the history professor:
"I answer that he died from a terrorist assassination"
.
Throughout her responses, Nicole Belloubet did not mention the word
“Islamist”
, contenting herself with defining the assassination of Samuel Paty as a
“terrorist”
act .
“There is a minimum of decency to be had for the family”
Mickaëlle Paty's lawyer, Me Carine Chaix, wrote on March 15 to the Prime Minister as well as to the Ministers of the Interior and National Education, asking them to officially recognize the State's responsibility in the death of Samuel Paty. Since then, they have had a period of two months to officially recognize this responsibility of the State, failing which the lawyer indicated that she will bring the matter before administrative justice, in order to obtain a decision of the court.
Read also Death of Samuel Paty: his sister Mickaëlle wants the State's responsibility to be recognized
“We are dismayed that Madame Belloubet has, it seems, chosen to respond to an official liability appeal through the press, without having first informed Mickaëlle Paty”
comments Carine Chaix to Le
Figaro
.
“Even if concern for others is not always innate, there is nevertheless a minimum of decency to be had for the family of Samuel Paty. This way of acting is not dignified. “It adds contempt to the tragedy
,” she adds, specifying that she intends to
“respond on the merits”
when
“the State deigns to provide an official response
. ”
A recent senatorial report from a commission of inquiry also pointed out, on March 6, the
“terrible loneliness”
of teachers in the face of threats and attacks, urging the State to initiate a
“proactive approach”
and National Education to
“take back control”
to defend secularism at school. This report describes with concern a
“school of the Republic in danger”
.