Chilean Minister: School Stabbing is a Security Issue, Not Just Education

A shocking act of violence occurred in the bathrooms of the Islas de Chile Basic School in La Granja, Chile, when a 13-year-old student allegedly stabbed a 7-year-old classmate nine times. The younger girl, a second-grader, had asked for permission to use the restroom during physical education class when she was attacked by the eighth-grader.

The victim was rushed to Padre Hurtado Hospital and is reported to be stable and out of danger. The 13-year-old aggressor is considered legally unaccountable under Chilean law, which sets the age of criminal responsibility at 14.

Chilean Security Minister Martín Arrau addressed the incident, emphasizing that it is fundamentally a security matter, not just an educational one. "There is a victim, and therefore there is a crime," Arrau stated, acknowledging that the location within a school makes the situation more grave. He highlighted the need to investigate what is happening within the educational community and the family, questioning how a young girl could commit such an act.

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it is a security issue. Of course, it happens within an educational community, at a school, and that makes it quite more serious, but there is a victim, and therefore, there is a crime.

Political figures have responded to the incident, with Senator Juan Luis Castro suggesting the use of metal detector arches in schools. Senator Cristián Vial called for the debate to extend beyond lowering the age of criminal responsibility. The president of the school's parent center, Eduardo Baeza, denied that weapons are commonly used at the school, stating this is the first time such a serious incident has occurred in his 15 years as a parent there.

The school will implement its protocols, including Aula Segura, and classes were suspended. A plan for psychological support will be provided to the school community, particularly for students in the second and eighth grades.

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I have been a parent at the school for 15 years. We had never been affected or involved in such a serious problem. There are several previous videos on social media that say these things always happen, but in reality, that is not the case.