Czech school to remain closed after student dies in stabbing

A female student has died following an afternoon stabbing outside a secondary school in Pardubice on Thursday. Police have detained another student from the same school in connection with the attack, which officials say was driven by personal relationship issues.

The incident occurred around 2 p.m. outside the Secondary Technical School of Chemistry on Poděbradská Street. Following a confrontation between the two young people, emergency services rushed the girl to the hospital in critical condition, where she later succumbed to her injuries.

"Unfortunately, the victim succumbed to her injuries after being transported to hospital," regional police announced.

Law enforcement officials added that crisis intervention and psychological support are currently being provided to the victim’s family. Media reports suggest the suspect stabbed the girl following a relationship breakup.

Pardubice Regional Governor Martin Netolický confirmed the victim's identity as a student at the institution and noted that the motive appeared to be deeply personal.

Netolický stated that while regional authorities regularly review and update security measures at secondary schools, individual failures of this nature remain nearly impossible to predict or prevent.

The school will remain closed until Monday, and the principal has canceled all scheduled school-leaving exams for the immediate future.

Following the attack, police evacuated the building as a preventive measure. Bomb disposal experts searched the premises but found no explosives. The surrounding area was cordoned off for several hours, disrupting local traffic.

Governor Netolický expressed deep personal grief over the incident but sought to reassure local parents. He stated that safety at regional schools is handled thoroughly and confirmed that there is no further immediate danger to students or the public.

The incident has revived memories of previous security issues at the same Poděbradská Street site. In 2022, a 19-year-old student left an explosive device near the school before killing a random person with an axe in nearby Vysoké Mýto.

The tragedy also aligns with broader concerns raised by Czech judicial officials regarding youth violence.

Prosecutor General Lenka Bradáčová recently described the rising number of serious crimes committed by minors as alarming, noting a significant increase in severe offenses and murders involving individuals under the age of 18 over the past few years.