A stabbing incident at an elementary school in Staskov, a village of approximately 2,750 residents in northwestern Slovakia near the Czech border, resulted in one death and two serious injuries on Tuesday. The 13-year-old attacker fatally wounded a 61-year-old female teacher and also stabbed a 44-year-old female teacher and a schoolgirl, both of whom sustained serious injuries. Health officials indicated the schoolgirl remained in critical condition, while the second teacher’s life was not considered to be in danger following the chest wound she received.
Authorities apprehended the juvenile suspect at the scene. The Office for Combating Organised Crime initiated an investigation into the attack, with police characterizing it as premeditated murder. No clear motive for the incident had been established at the time of reporting. Officials stated that the situation in the village was secured and under control.
Local leadership highlighted the actions of the school’s principal, who was present during the attack. Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok noted that the principal’s adherence to emergency protocols prevented the situation from escalating further. Prime Minister Robert Fico and President Peter Pellegrini both issued statements responding to the incident. Pellegrini characterized the attack as part of a troubling pattern and pointed to social media and certain political actors as contributing to an atmosphere of intolerance that may influence student behavior.
The incident follows previous violent episodes at Slovak schools. Last year, an 18-year-old student fatally stabbed a deputy principal and another student at a high school in northern Slovakia. In 2020, a former student attacked a high school in Vrutky, killing the deputy principal and injuring five others. Additionally, a high school student injured a classmate in Novaky in 2022.
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