Slovak court jails young man 25 years for 2025 school knife attack
A court in Slovakia sentenced a young man to 25 years in prison on Wednesday for a knife attack that killed two people at a school in January 2025.
A Slovak court sentenced a young man to 25 years in prison on Wednesday for a knife attack that killed two people at a grammar school in Spišská Stará Ves, in eastern Slovakia, in January 2025, the Specialised Criminal Court said. He was found guilty of murdering the deputy headteacher and a student, and of wounding another student.
The court's presiding judge, Milan Cisarik, said the attacker, who was 18 at the time, had been moved to an individual study plan because of behavioural problems, after complaints from fellow students, and that this was why he had planned to kill the deputy headteacher and three classmates. He had discussed the planned attack with other students beforehand, the judge said. One of the classmates he had planned to kill was not at school that day.
Cisarik said the protection of society would call for a life sentence, but that the law did not allow one in this case because experts had not ruled out the possibility of the defendant's rehabilitation. An expert had described him as an immature personality with weakened emotions and disrupted relationships with those around him. The defendant did not comment on the sentence.
The court rejected defence arguments that the killings should not be classed as premeditated murder. His lawyer said the student had carried the knife intending to kill himself, not to attack others. He fled into a forest after the attack, where police detained him, and the court later remanded him in custody.
Prosecutors, who had sought a life sentence in their closing arguments, said they would appeal against the 25-year term, sending the case to Slovakia's Supreme Court. The defence has yet to decide whether it will also appeal.
The sentence was announced only a day after a separate knife attack at another Slovak school, in Staškov in the north-west of the country. A 61-year-old teacher died in that attack, and a 44-year-old teacher was airlifted to hospital with a chest wound; a student was also injured. Health Minister Kamil Šaško said on Wednesday that the injured student remained in a very serious condition. Police detained the suspect, a 13-year-old pupil, who cannot be held criminally responsible because of his age.
What we know
- A Slovak court sentenced a young man, 18 at the time of the attack, to 25 years in prison for a January 2025 knife attack that killed a deputy headteacher and a student.
- Presiding judge Milan Cisarik said the attack was motivated by the defendant being moved to an individual study plan over behavioural problems.
- The court rejected a defence argument that the attack should not be classed as premeditated murder.
- Prosecutors, who sought a life sentence, said they would appeal against the 25-year term.
- A separate knife attack at a school in Staškov the day before the verdict killed a 61-year-old teacher and injured two others; the suspect is a 13-year-old pupil.
Not yet confirmed
- Whether the defence in the 2025 case will also appeal against the sentence.
Why it matters for Europe
The verdict lands only a day after a second deadly knife attack at a Slovak school, making this the second such tragedy in the country in less than two years. Both cases have put pressure on Slovak schools and authorities over how to identify and respond to troubled students before violence occurs.
The latest attack, in which the suspect is too young to be held criminally responsible, is likely to renew debate in Slovakia over support for pupils with behavioural problems and security in schools.
Sources
Reported by 4 reports from 4 independent outlets in 2 countries.
- ABC News Albania: Sulm i rëndë në një shkollë në Sllovaki, humb jetën një mësuese 61-vjeçare
- Seznam Zprávy: Mladík za loňský útok na slovenské škole dostal 25 let vězení
- ČT24: Slovenský soud poslal mladíka na 25 let do vězení za loňský smrtelný útok ve škole
- Aktuálně.cz: Soud na Slovensku vyměřil trest 25 let vězení za loňský tragický útok na škole
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Questions and answers
- What was the young man sentenced for?
- A Slovak court sentenced him to 25 years in prison for a knife attack in January 2025 that killed a deputy headteacher and a student at a school in Spišská Stará Ves.
- Will the sentence be appealed?
- Yes, prosecutors said they would appeal, arguing for a life sentence; the case will go to Slovakia's Supreme Court.
- What happened at the other Slovak school attack?
- A day before the verdict, a 61-year-old teacher was killed and two others injured in a separate knife attack at a school in Staškov; the suspect is a 13-year-old pupil.
This article was written with AI assistance from 4 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.