Slovak schoolgirl dies after stabbing by 13-year-old classmate

A schoolgirl in Slovakia has died after being stabbed by a thirteen-year-old classmate. The girl, named Nelka, was airlifted by helicopter in critical condition to a hospital in the city of Martin, but doctors could not save her despite several operations.

Nelka's death was announced in the country's parliament by its speaker, Richard Raši, after which lawmakers held a minute of silence in her memory. According to the website tn.live.sk, the attacker stabbed the girl three times; she went into hemorrhagic shock from severe blood loss. A 44-year-old teacher was also injured — doctors describe her condition as stable.

The investigation into the attack has also expanded to include a local police officer: he has been charged with dereliction of duty — according to available information, he was aware of reports about the future attacker's troubling behavior but did not consider them serious enough to warrant intervention.

Education Minister Tomáš Drucker (Hlas party) confirmed that concerns about the boy had already been flagged on Friday, September 25 — four days before the attack. On Monday the whole class held a two-hour session with a psychologist because of that same incident, and a follow-up visit by psychologists to the school was planned for Wednesday.

The trigger, according to police, was a drawing the future attacker had made: it depicted a concentration camp in which he had placed the school's teachers. For that, he reportedly faced a lower behavior grade.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz