A vice president of the University of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines in France was attacked with a bladed weapon on Friday evening, November 13, 2026, within the university's premises. The victim, a 41-year-old legal professional, was targeted inside the presidency offices around 7:45 PM. While he sustained injuries to his forehead and hand, university officials and police sources confirmed that his life is not in danger.
According to reports from Le Parisien, the professor was working in his office when he heard a noise and stepped out into the hallway. He was confronted by an individual described as being between 15 and 30 years old, wearing a hood and a surgical mask. The assailant rushed at the vice president without speaking. The professor managed to retreat into his office before alerting a colleague, who then contacted emergency services.
Following the attack, the victim was transported to a hospital for medical care. Police conducted a security sweep of the premises, but the attacker had already fled and remains at large. The Versailles prosecutor's office has opened a flagrante delicto investigation for 'violence with a weapon,' and surveillance footage is currently being analyzed to identify the suspect.
Loïc Josseran, the president of the university, strongly condemned the act, describing it as an unjustified act of violence occurring within a 'tense university context.' Although no specific motive has been officially established, the victim filed a complaint and noted recent tensions linked to social movements that have affected various university sites in recent weeks.
The French Minister of Higher Education, Philippe Baptiste, expressed his full support for the victim, his family, and his colleagues. In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), Baptiste called the assault an 'act of extreme gravity,' asserting that 'no violence is acceptable' and affirming that the state stands alongside universities and their governance. The minister expressed confidence in the judiciary to uncover the full circumstances of the attack and ensure the perpetrator is held accountable.
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