Only one door usually stands between schools and attackers

Teachers often improvise in conflicts.

(Source: SITA)

Schools are practically defenceless against attackers and when employees are in danger, they mostly improvise. Even though the June 11 attack at a primary school in Vrútky (Žilina Region) is exceptional, some less serious conflicts have occurred in Slovakia.

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Related article Attacker in Vrútky school killed one person; he was shot dead by police Read more 

“An aggressive man tore into the school courtyard, he wanted a reckoning with our pupils,” said Ján Maruniak, headmaster of the Jozef Horák Primary School in Banská Štiavnica (Banská Bystrica Region) referring to an incident that took place 20 years ago. “I stayed locked with him in the headmaster’s office until the police arrived.”

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Usually there is only one locked entrance door, sometimes with a knob instead of a handle, to protect pupils, teachers and other primary school employees.

This is the case at the Vrútky primary school, where a 22-year-old man from Martin killed the deputy head and seriously injured two pupils and a teacher.

Although the school locks the entrance during classes, the aggressor forced entry by breaking the glass in the door. A school caretaker tried to stop him, but the attacker stabbed him. Despite his injuries, the caretaker again tried to stop the man when he later tried to escape.

Most schools do not have a camera system as they are too expensive. The situation is also complicated in the case of larger compounds where schools are comprised of several buildings.

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