The suicide of a teenager and the reaction of his parents, who were “outraged” by the attitude of the authorities, highlighted the problem of school bullying in France and the gaps in its treatment.

The Minister of Education Gabriel Atal today called on the heads of the country’s regional education directorates asking them to investigate all cases of school harassment reported last year. Earlier, the prime minister had described it as “shameful”. Elizabeth Bourne called it “shocking” – the response that Nikolas’ parents received last spring, as their proposals were deemed “unacceptable” by a high school in of Versaillesin western Paris.

The 15-year-old committed suicide on September 5, one day after the start of the school year and while he had already changed his school environment.

A year earlier, in the fall of 2022, his parents reported to the teachers of the Vocational High School of Poissy, where the child attended, that he was the victim of school bullying. In the middle March 2023 they learned from Nikolas’ psychologist that their son attempted to end his life in January.

In the e-mails exchanged with the school, the management of the latter described as “unacceptable” certain statements of the parents, who expressed concerns about the behavior of the educational staff. The school even asked them to adopt a “constructive, respectful attitude” towards staff, reminding them of the legal consequences of defaming them.

“We were outraged and bewildered when we received these letters,” said the student’s mother, Beatrice, in a written statement to AFP. “We still don’t know if the perpetrators of the intimidation were punished even symbolically,” he added. The government’s reactions to the letters show that finally “Nicolas’ suffering is being recognized,” he added, saying the family is considering legal action. “Before making this decision, we await the results of the investigations and the actions the government will take,” he said.

Atal said he expects “in less than 15 days” the conclusions of an administrative investigation he ordered.

It is estimated that one in ten students in France is a victim of bullying at school. The government considers it a priority to deal with this phenomenon, due to the suicide of a schoolgirl, 13-year-old Lince, last spring.