Thirteen children freed from school building in Brazil
Police ended a hostage situation in Curitiba after more than two hours of negotiations; according to the authorities, none of the children suffered serious injuries.
Thirteen children have been freed in the Brazilian city of Curitiba after a man held them in a municipal preschool. Police killed the suspect during the operation; the authorities are still investigating his motive and links to the school.
The hostage situation took place on Friday at the Centro Municipal de Educação Infantil São Braz in Curitiba, in the state of Paraná. According to police, the man entered a classroom and held children and staff members there. Other pupils and employees were able to leave the building before the situation was brought to an end.
Negotiators tried for more than two hours to persuade the man to surrender. Police reported that he threatened to start a fire and that a liquid with a strong smell of fuel had been spread around the classroom. Details of exactly what happened differ between sources and are being investigated by the authorities.
Special units eventually entered the classroom. Police say all thirteen children were freed and taken for checks and support. The municipality of Curitiba has promised psychological support for the children, their families and the institution’s staff.
The suspect’s identity has not been made public. Nor has it been established why he entered the school or whether he had any connection with the children or staff. Statements about a possible mental disorder have been attributed by various media outlets to police statements, but are not an established explanation for the incident.
Associated Press reported that none of the children was injured. Another international source did describe medical checks after the rescue. As the authorities have not published a full medical report, we limit ourselves to stating that all the children were rescued alive and received medical and psychological care.
The incident is once again prompting questions in Brazil about the security of schools and preschools. No statements about national trends can be made on the basis of a single incident. The municipality and police have not yet announced measures for other institutions in Curitiba.
The investigation must establish, among other things, how the man entered the premises, exactly how the police operation unfolded and whether there had been earlier warning signs. Until those questions have been answered, reporting remains limited to what the police and municipality have confirmed about the rescue operation.
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The text is based on two independent news agencies and takes account of differences in the medical details. Unconfirmed information about the identity, motive and mental state has not been presented as fact.
- confirmed Thirteen children were held hostage and freed at a school in Curitiba. — This was reported by AP and EFE. source
- confirmed Police killed the suspect during the operation. — AP and EFE reported this on the basis of police statements. source
- confirmed The municipality offered psychological support to those involved. — AP reported the support promised by Curitiba. source
Editor's note
The rescue and the police operation were reported by AP and EFE. The identity, motive and medical details have not been fully made public; minors have not been described in an identifiable way.Sources
- Brazilian police kill suspect who held 13 children at knifepoint in school — Associated Press
- La Policía brasileña rescata a los 13 niños secuestrados en una escuela — Agencia EFE
- Centro Municipal de Educação Infantil São Braz — Prefeitura de Curitiba
More on this in Dutch media
- AD — „brazilië curitiba”
- de Volkskrant — „brazilië curitiba”
- RTL Nieuws — „brazilië curitiba”