Portugal: 12-year-old boy stabs and injures six students at school

Portugal was rocked on Tuesday when a 12-year-old boy stabbed and injured six other children in a rare outbreak of violence at a school.

According to the Portuguese National Police, the victims of the attack at the school in Azambuja near Lisbon were between 11 and 14 years old.

A boy suffered a serious chest injury, but his life is not in danger, said Azambuja Mayor Silvino Lºcio. The boy was taken to a hospital in Lisbon.

The mayor said five girls suffered minor injuries to their arms.

The attacker is in custody, police said. A motive for the attack was not initially given.

Portuguese Prime Minister Lus Montenegro condemned the attack and wished the injured children a speedy recovery in a message on social media platform X. He called it an “isolated attack” that is extremely rare in his country.

“It was an isolated act and a strange event in Portuguese society, but one that should make everyone who works in public spaces reflect responsibly,” Montenegro wrote in Portuguese.