Macron pushes social media ban for under 15s after fatal school stabbing

French officials are moving quickly to introduce stricter regulations on youth safety after a 14-year-old boy fatally stabbed a school teaching assistant during a routine bag search at a secondary school in Nogent, eastern France.

The victim, 31-year-old Mélanie, had been working at the school since September after transitioning from her previous job as a hairdresser. She was a mother to a four-year-old son and served as a local council member in a nearby village, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.

Read more: Student fatally stabs teaching assistant in France

"She was great with kids," said Laurence Raclot, a friend and community member. “In a quiet little town, we never would have thought this could happen.”

Tributes have poured in, with flowers and heartfelt notes placed outside the school. One message read, “We share your pain.” Another resident, Sabrina Renault, expressed sorrow for the family, “It’s really sad… for that little boy who’s left without his mum.”

Authorities have extended the suspect’s custody for an additional 24 hours as investigations continue. Officials have released few details about the boy’s motive.

In response to the tragedy, President Emmanuel Macron announced plans to restrict access to social media for children under 15, arguing that platforms already possess the tools to verify users’ ages. “I am proposing banning social media for children under 15,” Macron wrote on X. “Platforms have the ability to verify age. Let's do it.”

C’est une recommandation des experts de la commission écrans : je porte l’interdiction des réseaux sociaux avant 15 ans. Les plateformes ont la possibilité de vérifier l’âge. Faisons-le.

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) June 10, 2025

Greece, France, and Spain are jointly backing a broader EU initiative to limit young people's exposure to social platforms, citing growing concerns about mental and physical health impacts. Macron warned that France would proceed independently with the ban if no regional consensus is reached soon.

Prime Minister François Bayrou’s office also confirmed a forthcoming decree to prohibit knife sales to minors within the next two weeks. Speaking on TF1, Bayrou said the ban would take effect “immediately” and cover “any knife that can be used as a weapon.”

Bayrou also urged parents and educators to be alert to signs of distress in adolescents, while acknowledging a national shortage of psychological support staff. He has suggested launching a pilot program for metal detectors in schools.

Education Minister Elisabeth Borne announced that schools across France will observe a minute of silence on Thursday in honor of Mélanie. “The entire educational community is in shock, as is the whole nation,” Borne said in a radio interview.

While officials are calling for swift reforms, some educators and unions have raised concerns. Sophie Venetitay, head of the SNES-FSU teachers’ union, cautioned against shifting educational staff into security roles. “Little by little, we have seen attempts to turn them into security guards,” she said.

Remy Reynaud of the CGT Educ’Action union criticized the government’s decision to conduct bag searches outside schools. “They increase tensions,” he warned, adding that staff are being pressured to participate in security procedures beyond their job descriptions.