He was mentally ill, you see. No larger pattern here — although French authorities should open an inquiry into why so many Muslims are falling prey to mental illness these days, in ways that provoke them to commit acts of violence.
“French court sentences stabber of Marseille Jew to 4 years,” JTA, December 11, 2015:
A man who stabbed a Jew and assaulted two other Jews in Marseille was sentenced to four years in prison.
The Correctional Tribunal of Marseille sentenced Farid Haddouche, 32, on Wednesday for aggravated assault he committed early in the morning of October 24, the France 3 television channel reported. Haddouche’s victims — a rabbi, the rabbi’s son and another Jew who was stabbed — were returning from the synagogue when he assaulted them.
Haddouche was deemed unfit to stand trial because of mental issues following a psychiatric evaluation, but further inquiries led to his indictment later that month.
The Marseille branch of CRIF, the umbrella group of French Jewish communities, requested that police and justice officials re-examine Haddouche’s case following reports that he shouted anti-Semitic slogans during the attack. The victims told Michelle Teboul, president of the local CRIF branch, that Haddouche had deliberately targeted them because they were Jewish.
Before assaulting the Jews, the assailant, who was inebriated at the time, hurled a canister containing tear gas at a municipal employee. The rabbi and his son were lightly wounded, while the third victim sustained medium injuries.
In a court testimony, Haddouche’s mother said her son had no history of mental illness and was sane to the best of her knowledge.…
On Nov. 18 another Jew was stabbed and moderately injured in Marseille by a man who was wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the symbol of the ISIS terrorist group. Police have no suspect in custody in connection with that assault.