The identity of the author of the knife attack in Annecy (Savoie) was quickly revealed. Here’s what we know about Abdalmasih H.
Over the hours following the knife attack perpetrated in Annecy (Savoie) which injured several children this Thursday, June 8, 2023 in a park, the profile of the suspect is revealed, according to the elements collected by various media. Enough to bring to light the identity of Abdalmasih H. and part of his career, even if many questions still remain unanswered. The man was arrested and the investigation entrusted to the anti-terrorist sub-directorate.
The perpetrator of the knife attack is a 31-year-old man, born in 1991 in Hassake, Syria, and who has lived since 2013 in Sweden, in Trollhättan 75km north of Gothenburg, indicates BFM TV. He had obtained refugee status in this country on April 26, 2023, specifies Le Parisien, a few months after taking steps (in November 2022) to obtain asylum in France. His refugee status is an important factor since it granted him free movement in the Schengen area. Thus, the man entered French territory completely legally. He was, until today, unknown to the police and justice services in France. It was his identity document, found on him during his arrest, which made it possible to identify him. The man was not followed or known by the main associations helping refugees in Haute-Savoie, added the Dauphiné Libéré.
On the personal side, the suspect had declared himself “Christian of Syria” at the time of his asylum application, advances Franceinfo which also adds that the man wore a cross at the time of his arrest. For its part, Le Parisien indicates that the individual was married to a 50-year-old Swedish woman, also a Syrian refugee. The two met in Turkey in 2018, specifies BFM TV. A union during which was born a child, now three years old. Eight months ago, the couple separated, she remaining in Sweden because of her work, the news channel believes. They haven’t been in touch for four months. Finally, BFM TV claims that the man, like his ex-girlfriend, was studying remotely to become nurses.
The personality of the individual takes shape little by little over the testimonies. An employee who worked near the park told Dauphiné Libéré that “this guy has been coming to sit on a bench every day for two months” and above all, “all day” according to him, in all weathers, in a simple outfit, all in black. “He did not speak”, or little, never vehement or vindictive according to this witness. If he was “muttering under his breath,” the man was “not aggressive.” Described as a homeless person by all, Abdalmasih H. did not appear to show any signs suggesting such an act.
At the time of the attack, the man was wearing a turban. A short video, posted on Twitter, shows him wandering the park, knife in hand. He was quickly overpowered and arrested by law enforcement at the scene. At this time, the circumstances and motivations behind this attack remain unclear. At the time of the attack, the assailant was “obviously” targeting the children according to witnesses at the scene, interviewed by France Bleu. Other testimonies describe the individual as a marginal man who “has been wandering for several days around the lake”. He is said to live on the streets and was seen bathing in the lake.
According to several other people, interviewed by BFM TV, Abdalmasih H. “jumped up, started screaming, went straight to the stroller and started stabbing repeatedly.” A witness claims that “he was clearly attacking the babies as there were several adults around. He did not hit the grandmother who was trying to struggle with her bag.” But “when he saw that he was surrounded by the police, he walked towards a couple and stabbed the lady’s husband,” said the same witness.
