France knife attack suspect transferred to psychiatric hospital

The suspect, named as Abdalmasih H, was charged with attempted murder following the June 8 stabbing rampage at a park in the Alpine town of Annecy, a normally idyllic lakeside spot popular with tourists.

A Syrian refugee in his early 30s who had been living in Europe for the last decade, he had undergone two psychiatric evaluations in police custody.

On Wednesday, he was transferred to a psychiatric hospital near Lyon, two sources with knowledge of the case told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.

He has been refusing to speak to authorities, and officials, while ruling out a terror motive, have not determined the reason for the attack.

The child victims, aged between 22 months and three years, were initially hospitalised in a serious condition, while one adult was seriously wounded and another lightly hurt. All were declared to no longer be in life-threatening condition.

Recently divorced from a Swedish national, the suspect had previously lived for 10 years in Sweden where he was granted refugee status in April, security sources and his ex-wife told AFP.

He left the country because he had been unable to get Swedish nationality and applied for asylum in Switzerland, Italy and France.

His French application was rejected a few days before the attack, as he already enjoyed refugee status in Sweden.

He was judged not to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs during the attack.

(AFP)