The homicide of Dominique Bernard on 13 October, nearly three years to the day after the homicide of historical past and geography instructor Samuel Paty within the Paris area, despatched shockwaves by means of the instructing career particularly.
Dominique Bernard “did not like crowds and honours”, however the instructor who was stabbed to loss of life by a former pupil outdoors his Arras secondary college throughout a jihadist assault that put France on excessive alert was buried with nice pomp on Thursday in entrance of a number of hundred individuals.
“Delicate and discreet, he didn’t just like the noise and fury of the world. He beloved his daughters, his mom and his sister deeply. We beloved one another,” stated his spouse Isabelle, additionally a instructor, to these current on the cathedral within the northern metropolis of Arras.
Amongst them had been the Head of State Emmanuel Macron, his spouse Brigitte and the Minister for Training Gabriel Attal.
The ceremony, presided over by the bishop of Arras, Olivier Leborgne, was proven on a big display screen in a sq. within the city centre, in entrance of just about 600 individuals, in response to the Pas-de-Calais prefecture, some embracing their family members, others holding a white rose.
A photograph of the instructor was displayed on the façade of the city corridor.
“We’re distraught, however collectively. We’re right here, surprised, however refusing to be crushed”, stated the bishop.
“I can see your silhouette within the academics’ lounge, I can nonetheless see your shirt, the cup you are holding, your mischievous smile as a result of you may have one thing humorous to say”, stated a colleague, Aurélie.
Dominique Bernard, 57, has been made a Knight of the Legion of Honour by the French President Emmanuel Macron, in response to a decree printed on Thursday. Macron met his household earlier than the ceremony.
Numerous bouquets of roses had been laid in entrance of the cathedral, the place the coffin was welcomed by round thirty academics and employees from the Gambetta secondary college, the scene of the tragedy.
“Mr Bernard was form and passionate, he beloved to assist us uncover literature, and he all the time had little additional issues to inform us in regards to the authors he was introducing,” stated Maxime, one in every of his former pupils, who watched the ceremony on the large display screen, accompanied by his mom.
Mattheo Tenti, 18, who taught him in his closing yr of secondary college, described him as “a very sociable, relaxed instructor who all the time listened to his pupils once they had issues. A stunning individual”.
A big police presence was deployed in a big a part of town centre, the place site visitors was banned till 3 p.m.
The homicide of Dominique Bernard on 13 October, nearly three years to the day after the homicide of historical past and geography instructor Samuel Paty within the Paris area by a radicalised younger man, despatched shockwaves by means of the instructing career particularly.
A minute’s silence was noticed on Monday in all secondary faculties in France in reminiscence of Dominique Bernard and Samuel Paty.