Jewish Girl's Face Slashed in Paris Suburb

A 15-year-old Jewish girl was the victim of an attack by a man in his 30s, who last Wednesday assaulted her "without speaking" outside the Merkaz Hatorah school in Sarcelles, a northern suburbs of Paris, France. The victim's family has filed a complaint with the police.

The girl, who was dressed modestly, was hit from behind by the man, who then slashed her right cheekbone, at about 12:30 PM, Wednesday, the victim's mother told police, according to a source speaking to Le Parisien. "The individual who moved in front of the young woman, gave her a blow with a sharp object, without addressing her with any word," the same source said.

The schoolgirl tried to get a view of her attacker, but he ran away. "She could not give a report," a police source said.

"My daughter came home troubled, shocked," the mother related.

On Wednesday evening, the family went to file a complaint at the Sarcelles police station.

"It sounds like a gratuitous assault," the police source told Le Parisien. "She had no outward sign that she was Jewish."

But the mother of the victim is not convinced. "My daughter was returning from private high school Merkaz-Hatorah, Raincy (Seine-Saint-Denis). She was in uniform, wearing a shirt and a blue skirt. We do not have proof that it is an anti-Semitic aggression, but we are asking ourselves this question," she said.

The teenager has returned to school on Thursday. She had an appointment Friday morning with a doctor of the medico-legal unit.