A Mauritanian migrant, Boulaye M., is facing trial in France for attempting to murder a female colleague after she repeatedly rejected his advances. The 50-year-old, who had allegedly been harassing her for years, snapped and attacked her with a butcher’s knife at their workplace, stabbing her 17 times.
The assault took place on June 7, 2020, inside a Primark store in Serris. Isabel, the victim, had always remained polite despite Boulaye’s relentless propositions. But that morning, things took a terrifying turn. Trapped together in a storage room, he suddenly pulled out a knife with an eight-inch blade and plunged it into her stomach. As she collapsed, he continued his frenzied attack, shouting that she was going to die.
A co-worker walked in just in time, interrupting the assault. Boulaye, unfazed, simply turned and walked away before fleeing the scene. Other employees found Isabel bleeding on the floor. She was rushed to the hospital, barely surviving the attack, but was left permanently unable to work.
Police launched a manhunt and tracked Boulaye down six days later at a Paris hotel. Investigators later uncovered that he had purchased the knife on the morning of the attack, leading to charges of premeditated attempted murder. If convicted, he faces life in prison. His trial is now underway at the Seine-et-Marne Assize Court, France’s only jury court.
