Two Nantes high school students charged in arson of Lycée

The students, both attending Lycée Nelson-Mandela, are under judicial supervision. One has been placed in a closed educational center, while the other is subject to a curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.

The Nantes prosecutor’s office, which had initially requested that both teenagers be held in pre-trial detention, is appealing these decisions.

The fire, which occurred around 7:00 a.m., destroyed the school’s main entrance hall. Several masked individuals set fire to trash cans and materials blocking the entrance, using aerosol cans to spread the flames. Mortar fire was also directed at the entrance.

The fire spread to the roof, breaking windows and damaging solar panels, the cafeteria, and several rooms in the school’s boarding facilities, where students were present. Several classrooms were also destroyed. Investigators found evidence of accelerants of petroleum and liquid origin near the burned area.

The two students arrested on Tuesday admitted to some involvement in the incident. A third student arrested during the same investigation was released, as their involvement could not be established. One of the arrested teenagers is known to police and the justice system.

Damage to the school has been estimated at approximately €4 million. The regional authorities are planning a partial reopening on November 16th, which would involve “almost all classrooms.”

Following the fire, students expressed their distress and distanced themselves from the violent actions, speaking out near a portrait of Nelson Mandela.