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Spišská Stará Ves school stabbing

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Spišska Stará Ves school stabbing
Map
LocationGymnázium, Spišská Stará Ves Slovakia
Coordinates49°22′45″N 20°21′39″E / 49.3792°N 20.3608°E / 49.3792; 20.3608
Date16 January 2025
c.13:00 (CET)
Attack type
Mass stabbing
WeaponKnife
Deaths2
Injured1
PerpetratorSamuel Straško[1]
MotiveMisogyny

On 16 January 2025, a stabbing took place at a high school in Spišská Stará Ves, a small town in Slovakia near the border with Poland. A 18-year-old student stabbed with a knife and killed a teacher and a fellow student, with one other person injured. The culprit was arrested after the stabbing.[2]

Background

[edit]

School attacks are rare in Slovakia. In 2020 a 22-year old student killed the deputy principal of the high school he had previously attended and injured five other people and in 2022 a student injured a classmate by attacking her with a knife at a high school in Nováky.[3] International media also noted that the attack came just several months after attempted assassination of the prime minister Robert Fico.[4]

Stabbing

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The stabbing took place at a gymnasium on Štúrová street in Spišská Stará Ves on 16 January 2025. At about 12:40 p.m. Samuel Straško, an 18 year old student of the school who studied individually due to a history of violence and harassment against fellow students, came to the office of the assistant principal Mária Semančíková, where he was due to take an exam. Instead of taking the exam, the student dressed all in black and wearing a black ski mask used a tactical knife to stab the assistant principal to death. Afterwards, he continued to the classroom, where he had attended classes before being assigned individual study plan and attacked an 18-year old female student. Another student came to the defense of the victim but was injured by Staško, who later chased down and killed his original target.[5][6][7]

After the stabbing, the perpetrator, a student, fled the scene. The police warned the locals about an armed man being on the loose in town and cautioned residents not to approach him. He was arrested about an hour after the stabbing in a forest near the nearby village of Matiašovce.[8][9]

Perpetrator

[edit]

The perpetrator, Samuel Straško was an 18 years old student of the high school in Spišská Stará Ves, who resided in the nearby village of Ľubica.[10] As a student, he excelled academically and athletically, having successfully participated in mathematics and German language competitions as well as various sports tournaments.[11] At the same time, he had a long history of verbal and physical attacks against female classmates and was previously expelled from high schools in Lučenec and Kežmarok for repeated violent incidencts.[12]

The most severe incident happened in late 2021, when Staško attacked a female classmate with his fists and caused her injuries, which required medical attention. In February 2022, he received a suspended sentence of four months in prison. He was also sentenced for threatening another female classmate with death, but not given any additional sentence because the judge considered the suspended sentence issued in the other case sufficient.[13]

In Spišská Stará Ves, the pattern of violent behavior continued. Straško was removed from an online classroom during the COVID-19 pandemic for sending death threats to a female classmate. He later attacked the classmate by crashing his bike into her on purpose and threatened another female student with murder on a school trip.[14] Due to his violent behavior, the school assigned Straško to an individual study plan, where he studied at home and attended regular exams at the school.[15]

According to his fellow students students and teachers, Straško was an intelligent but troubled student. In addition to repeated outburst of aggression towards fellow students, in particularly female ones, he was known for speaking German and performing the Hitler salute during school breaks. He also repeatedly expressed hatred towards Romani people and women. He also actively sought sadistic content online.[7][16]

Investigation

[edit]

The prosecutor general Maroš Žilinka stated immediately after the stabbing that the perpetrator was "not a tabula rasa", likely referring to his previous violent incidents.[17]

Immediately after arrest, Straško confessed he wanted to kill two other persons in addition to the two victims. He attributed his actions to the alleged conspiracy of the targeted persons to expel him from school and generally ruin his life.[7] According to Marek Madro, a psychologist who talked to Straško and other students after the stabbing, the perpetrator was additionally motivated by his hatred of women.[18]

Samuel Straško was accused of first-degree murder as the police deemed his knife attacks premediated and intentional. The judge refused Straško's lawyer please for a parole and ruled the perpetrator will remain in jail for the duration of the trial.[19] After attempted suicide by hanging in prison, Straško was transferred to a hospital in Trenčín, where he unsuccessfully attempted suicide again.[20]

Aftermath

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The interior minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok and education minister Tomáš Drucker immediately traveled to Spišská Stará Ves by a helicopter offer condolences and support to the local authorities.[21]

In direct response to the stabbing, the national chief of police as well as the chief of police in Spišská Stará Ves were fired by the interior minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok. According to Šutaj Eštok, the local police failed to take necessary steps to prevent the stabbing from happening.[22] Later, the chief of police inspectorate explained, the school had asked the police to investigate the behavior of Straško a couple of days prior to the stabbing. Nonetheless, the police did not find any crime to be investigated and considered the case "ordinary bullying".[23]

Anna Kromková, the principal of the high school, where the stabbing took place, blamed the parents of the perpetrator for withholding information about his prior violent conduct. According to the principal, the school would never accept the student transfer had it knew about Straško's past.[24]

Hundreds of people attended the funeral mass for the stabbed assistant school principal celebrated by the local bishop František Trstenský.[6]

Statements

[edit]

The president of Slovakia Peter Pellegrini, prime minister Robert Fico, the opposition leader Michal Šimečka, numerous government ministers and MPs from all parties as well as the governor of the Prešov Region Milan Majerský immidiately condemned the stabbing and offered their condolences to the families of the victimes.[25][26]

Pope Francis also offered his condolences via the papal nuncio Nicola Girasoli.[27] The head of Conference of Slovak Bishops Bernard Bober, also expressed his "spiritual closeness" after the attack.[28]

In a statement, the Slovak student union said "Schools should be a place where young people grow, learn and dream of a better future. Instead, we are witnessing violence and hatred finding their way into our classrooms".[2]

References

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  1. ^ Podhorna, Natalia (January 16, 2025). "Dvojnásobný vrah z gymnázia v Spišskej Starej Vsi: Nevídane nadaný, v deň útoku ho čakali..." [Double murderer from a grammar school in Spišská Stará Ves: Unprecedentedly talented, on the day of the attack they were waiting for him...] (in Slovak). Plus 7 Dní. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  2. ^ a b "Two killed in knife attack at school in Slovakia". BBC. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
  3. ^ Sullivan, Rory (16 January 2025). "Student detained after two people killed in Slovakia school stabbing". euronews. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  4. ^ Carroll, Michael D.; McDonagh, Shannon (16 January 2025). "Student detained after fatal stabbings at high school". Newsweek. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  5. ^ "Masaker na Spiši. Po vyčíňaní študenta na gymnáziu sú dvaja mŕtvi a viacero zranených, jeden v kritickom stave". tvnoviny.sk (in Slovak). 16 January 2025.
  6. ^ a b "Stovky ľudí sa prišli rozlúčiť s druhou obeťou - Máriou Semančíkovou (51)". www.zenyvmeste.sk (in Slovak). Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  7. ^ a b c Bejda, Róbert. "Útočník zo Spiša mal extrémistické názory a v triede hajloval, píše sudca v uznesení". spis.korzar.sme.sk (in Slovak). Retrieved 23 January 2025.
  8. ^ "SME Minúta: Na gymnáziu v Spišskej Starej Vsi útočil študent, hlásia dvoch mŕtvych". korzar.sme.sk (in Slovak). Retrieved 16 January 2025.
  9. ^ "V škole na východe Slovenska útočil žiak nožom: potvrdili dvoch mŕtvych, zadržali 18-ročného podozrivého". Aktuality.sk (in Slovak). 16 January 2025. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
  10. ^ "Týždeň po vražde v Spišskej Starej Vsi: Čo sa zmenilo?". Aktuality.sk (in Slovak). 23 January 2025.
  11. ^ Frank, Michal. "Bol premiantom v matematike i nemčine, darilo sa mu v športe. Kto je útočník z gymnázia?". spis.korzar.sme.sk (in Slovak).
  12. ^ "Útočník zo Spišskej Starej Vsi študoval aj v Lučenci". SOBOTNIK.SK (in Slovak). 18 January 2025. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  13. ^ Folentová, Veronika; Osvaldová, Lucia; Zacher, Filip (16 January 2025). "Po útoku na gymnáziu v Spišskej Starej Vsi sú dvaja mŕtvi – žiačka a zástupkyňa riaditeľa. Útočníka chytili". Denník N (in Slovak). Retrieved 16 January 2025.
  14. ^ Murajdová, Alex (17 January 2025). "Útočník Samuel z gymnázia v Spišskej Starej Vsi bol dvakrát odsúdený | TVNOVINY.sk". tvnoviny.sk (in Slovak).
  15. ^ Hajčáková, Daniela. "O jeho minulosti nevedeli, učil sa mimo kolektívu. Čo ukázalo prvých 24 hodín po útoku". domov.sme.sk (in Slovak). Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  16. ^ Belej Majerčínová, Adriána (23 January 2025). "Detaily z uznesenia: 10 sekúnd hrôzy, hajlovanie a sklony k sadizmu. Prečo Samuel zabíjal? Obete mali byť štyri". Pravda.sk (in Slovak). Retrieved 23 January 2025.
  17. ^ "Nejde o nepopísaný list papiera, opísal generálny prokurátor Žilinka 18-ročného podozrivého z vražedného útoku na škole". Aktuality.sk (in Slovak). 16 January 2025. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  18. ^ Folentová, Veronika (28 January 2025). "Za útokom v Spišskej Starej Vsi bol aj útočníkov vzťah k ženám. Školy sa s mizogýnnymi prejavmi stretávajú častejšie". Denník N (in Slovak). Retrieved 28 January 2025.
  19. ^ Bejda, Róbert. "Útočníka z tragédie v Spišskej Starej Vsi vzal súd do útekovej a preventívnej väzby". spis.korzar.sme.sk (in Slovak). Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  20. ^ "Mladík, ktorý je obvinený z vrážd na škole v Spišskej Starej Vsi, sa dvakrát pokúsil o samovraždu". Pravda.sk (in Slovak). 20 February 2025. Retrieved 24 February 2025.
  21. ^ "HNonline.sk - Tragédia na gymnáziu v Spišskej Starej Vsi. Po útoku nožom hlásia dvoch mŕtvych, polícia žiaka zadržala". hnonline.sk (in Slovak). 16 January 2025. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
  22. ^ Jurkovičová, Klaudia. "Šutaj Eštok: Policajný prezident Solák po útoku na škole končí, odvolaný bude aj šéf obvodnej polície". spis.korzar.sme.sk (in Slovak). Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  23. ^ "Gymnázium v Spišskej Starej Vsi týždeň pred tým, ako študent útočil na škole, riešilo jeho prípad s políciou". Denník N (in Slovak). 21 January 2025.
  24. ^ Nemec, Marek (17 January 2025). "Minulosť útočníka z gymnázia: dvakrát odsúdený za fyzické a verbálne útoky voči spolužiačkam". Aktuality.sk (in Slovak). Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  25. ^ "Takéto hrozné násilie nemá v našej spoločnosti čo hľadať, povedal Michal Šimečka k útoku na gymnáziu v Spišskej Starej Vsi". Denník N (in Slovak). 16 January 2025. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
  26. ^ "Žiaden problém na svete sa nevyrieši nožom ani inou zbraňou, reagoval prezident Peter Pellegrini na útok". Denník N (in Slovak). 16 January 2025. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
  27. ^ "Pápež František vyjadril sústrasť rodinám obetí tragédie v Spišskej Starej Vsi". Pravda.sk (in Slovak). 20 January 2025. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  28. ^ "SUMMARY - Thursday, January 16, 2025 - 9 p.m." www.tasr.sk.
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