A gruesome, cold-blooded murder in the heart of Bordeaux has once again raised urgent questions about France’s inability to prevent violent crime. On Friday evening, as crowds bustled near Place de la Victoire, an Afghan man was brutally stabbed to death—his throat slashed—by another Afghan national in front of horrified onlookers.
The attack, caught on video, left the victim bleeding out in front of a McDonald’s while the suspect calmly sat nearby, clutching his knife.
Authorities say the two men had known each other for years, and the killer allegedly lured his victim to the meeting with the premeditated intent to take his life. The motive? A personal grudge from their past in Afghanistan, with the suspect accusing the victim of treating his family poorly.
By the time police arrived, the 28-year-old victim lay motionless on a bench, suffering from 11 stab wounds, including a fatal strike to the heart. Medics were unable to save him. The attacker, meanwhile, didn’t flee. Instead, he waited to be arrested, immediately admitting to the murder.
Officials say neither the suspect nor the victim had a criminal record in France, yet this horrifying act underscores a broader issue: France’s growing struggle with violent crime, particularly in major cities. Residents are increasingly asking how such brutal acts can unfold in broad daylight, with bystanders left helpless to intervene.
The investigation is now in the hands of Bordeaux’s Territorial Crime Division, with the suspect facing murder charges and awaiting trial. But for many, the larger question remains—how did it come to this, and what is being done to prevent more scenes like this from playing out on French streets?
