A Jewish woman has been stabbed at her own home in France – as police launch a manhunt for a suspect dressed in black after finding a Swastika painted on her door.
The victim, believed to be 30, was knifed twice in the stomach when she answered the door after hearing the doorbell ring at her home in Lyon.
The male attacker, who was dressed in black and wearing a mask according to the victim’s statement, fled the scene and is still at large, Le Figaro reports. Investigators are probing CCTV footage in the area.
The woman was attacked at her home in the Montluc district, in the 3rd arrondissement of Lyon, at around 1pm today. She was rushed to a Lyon hospital and is not in a life-threatening condition.
The shocking attack comes as France faces a wave of anti-Semitic attacks in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war. ‘The woman, who is 30, opened her door to someone, and was repeatedly insulted and physically attacked,’ said an investigating source.
Her home was identified as a Jewish household because there was a mezuzah – a piece of parchment containing Jewish scripture – on the doorframe, said the source.
He added: ‘Early enquires suggest an anti-Semitic murder attempt, especially since a Nazi Swastika was spray painted by the attacker on the front door, before he left.’
The woman was rushed to hospital by the emergency services, who were called by neighbours. On Saturday evening, her condition was described as ‘very serious but not life threatening.’
A spokesman for Lyon prosecutors said: ‘The initial findings have led the prosecution to open an investigation into attempted murder aggravated by the fact that the act could be motivated by an anti-Semitic motive.’
Local mayor Gregory Doucet meanwhile said there had been ‘an unspeakable explosion of violence’ linked to the Israel-Hamas War.
‘A Jewish woman was stabbed this Saturday,’ said Mr Doucet. ‘An anti-Semitic inscription was found on the door of herhome. Such a surge of violence is unspeakable. All my support to the victim, and to her loved ones.’
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin has said that there have been ‘857 anti-Semitic acts’ in France since the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7. Daniel Dahan, Chief Rabbi of Lyon, said 36 of these anti-Semitic acts have been recorded in Lyon.
Security has been stepped up around Jewish places of worship and schools across France. Jews in France fear the war between Israel and Hamas has increased anti-Semitism and made them targets of violence.
