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Thursday, Jan 29, 2026
Outside the box.
Tragedy in Slovakia: High School Stabbing Leaves Two Dead
An 18-year-old student is detained following a fatal attack on a deputy principal and a student in Spisska Stara Ves.
In a harrowing incident in northern Slovakia, an 18-year-old student has been detained after allegedly fatally stabbing two individuals at a high school in the town of Spisska Stara Ves on Thursday.
Local authorities identified the victims as a 51-year-old deputy principal and an 18-year-old student, both women, while another individual remains in critical condition, according to the Slovak rescue service.
The small town of Spisska Stara Ves, which is home to approximately 2,000 residents and situated on the border with Poland, is reeling from the attack.
Initial reports indicate that the suspect targeted a teacher and two students in the violent spree before attempting to flee the scene.
Police forces acted swiftly, apprehending the suspect shortly after the attack.
Slovakia's President Peter Pellegrini condemned the attack, calling it 'a real tragedy,' and expressed his heartfelt condolences to the affected families alongside Prime Minister Robert Fico.
'No problem in the world can be solved with a knife or any other weapon,' Mr. Pellegrini remarked, emphasizing the need for peaceful conflict resolution.
Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok and Education Minister Tomas Drucker traveled to Spisska Stara Ves to personally convey their condolences to the community and the bereaved relatives.
Minister Drucker pledged to undertake efforts aimed at enhancing the security of educational institutions, highlighting the government's commitment to the safety of students and educators.
Incidents of this nature are exceptionally rare in Slovakia, a country where school attacks are not commonplace.
However, this recent tragedy echoes a 2020 event in Vrutky, where a former student killed a deputy principal and wounded five others, including two students.
Another notable case occurred in 2022, when a high school student in Novaky attacked and injured a fellow pupil.
As investigations into the Spisska Stara Ves attack continue, the nation grapples with profound questions about the motivations behind such violence and the measures necessary to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
The latest incident has undoubtedly cast a spotlight on school safety and the psychological well-being of students in Slovakia.
Local authorities identified the victims as a 51-year-old deputy principal and an 18-year-old student, both women, while another individual remains in critical condition, according to the Slovak rescue service.
The small town of Spisska Stara Ves, which is home to approximately 2,000 residents and situated on the border with Poland, is reeling from the attack.
Initial reports indicate that the suspect targeted a teacher and two students in the violent spree before attempting to flee the scene.
Police forces acted swiftly, apprehending the suspect shortly after the attack.
Slovakia's President Peter Pellegrini condemned the attack, calling it 'a real tragedy,' and expressed his heartfelt condolences to the affected families alongside Prime Minister Robert Fico.
'No problem in the world can be solved with a knife or any other weapon,' Mr. Pellegrini remarked, emphasizing the need for peaceful conflict resolution.
Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok and Education Minister Tomas Drucker traveled to Spisska Stara Ves to personally convey their condolences to the community and the bereaved relatives.
Minister Drucker pledged to undertake efforts aimed at enhancing the security of educational institutions, highlighting the government's commitment to the safety of students and educators.
Incidents of this nature are exceptionally rare in Slovakia, a country where school attacks are not commonplace.
However, this recent tragedy echoes a 2020 event in Vrutky, where a former student killed a deputy principal and wounded five others, including two students.
Another notable case occurred in 2022, when a high school student in Novaky attacked and injured a fellow pupil.
As investigations into the Spisska Stara Ves attack continue, the nation grapples with profound questions about the motivations behind such violence and the measures necessary to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
The latest incident has undoubtedly cast a spotlight on school safety and the psychological well-being of students in Slovakia.
