French cathedrals pilgrim 'backpack hero' of Annecy attack

Henri d'Anselme - Screenshot

A Catholic pilgrim has been hailed as the 'backpack hero' for taking on a knife-wielding attacker who stabbed four young children and two adults in a playground in Annecy, Haute-Savoie, France.

The attack took place on the morning of Thursday, 8th June. Video footage of several minutes' duration showed Henri d'Anselme, 24, chasing the man out of the park and using his backpack to try to disarm the knifeman before pursuing him.

"I wasn't there by chance," d'Anselme told French television on Friday. He had feared for his life but said, "I followed my instinct, trying my utmost to protect the weakest."

Using his backpack as both weapon and shield, d'Anselme dodged the blows of the aggressor who was finally tackled and arrested by the police.

Early on Thursday morning, d'Anselme had posted photographs of beautiful Lake Annecy, but moments later, the images were eclipsed by 'atrocious scenes' after he arrived at a lakeside park where children, their parents and childminders had been enjoying the sunshine.

He heard screams and saw a man wielding a large knife in the playground. After chasing the attacker out of the children's area, d'Anselme pursued as the assailant took flight across the park.

"I tried to run with my 20kg rucksack on my back, but then realised he was getting away so I let it go and continued to follow him with a small backpack. It seems mad, but you do what you can," he said.

D'Anselme - a philosophy and international management graduate - had previously been active as a traditionalist Catholic scout troop leader, prompting many commentators to discuss the 'chivalrous' origins of his 'good deed'.

Concerned by a 2022 Senate report on the fragile state of France's religious patrimony, the self-styled 'philosopher and explorer' had embarked on a 'great pilgrimage' - the 'Way of the Cathedrals'. Documenting his journey on social media, he also sought to ponder the 'vocation of France, eldest daughter of the Church.'

He had covered over 800 miles and visited 24 cathedrals by the time he reached Annecy.

The purpose of his Way of the Cathedrals, d'Anselme told French television, was to 'make known to the greatest number … the beauty of our cathedrals, in order to bring us together around these magnificent architectural monuments, built by our ancestors, who were nourished by a great vision which should inspire us. When I acted in the playground what pushed me was this greatness which nourishes me.' He added: 'I felt a great force within me. … The true message of Christ is a message of love, of defending the weakest, and France had built itself upon this message.'

On the day after the attack, those involved in the rescue effort were hailed in person by President Macron who thanked them for their prompt action in preventing further bloodshed.

Speaking at the local prefecture, Macron told d'Anselme and others, including two park attendants who set off in pursuit of the attacker, that they had "showed courage and stepped in without question."

The pilgrim hero seized the moment to make a request.

"At the moment I am doing a tour of French cathedrals. I would be honoured to be present for the inauguration of Notre-Dame in Paris," d'Anselme asked Macron. (The capital's cathedral is due to re-open next year, following repairs from substantial damage sustained in the 2019 fire.)

"I'll take care of it personally," the French leader replied. Offers to host d'Anselme when he resumes his pilgrim way have also come flooding in.

Abdalmasih Hanoun, a 31-year-old Syrian refugee, is under formal investigation for the stabbing of four children in a park in Annecy, France. None of the children's lives, including that of a three-year-old British girl, are in danger.

One of the wounded adults has already gone home. The second adult, who was stabbed and also received a gunshot wound when police arrived to arrest the suspect, is out of danger.

Police described Hanoun as "agitated" and "not in a normal state". adding he had given no explanation for his alleged actions. He was carrying "two Christian images" and wearing a cross.

Hanoun had identified himself as Christian when he requested asylum in France shortly after arriving last October. He had been living in the parc du Pâquier, the site of the attack, for at least two months, according to locals. His asylum claim had recently been rejected in France as he had already been granted that status in Sweden.

LINK

Henri d'Anselme's pilgrim page - Le Chant des Cathedrales: www.facebook.com/lechantdescathedrales