January 29, 2026
The administrators of Sacré-Cœur School have confirmed that their institution was completely destroyed after two successive attacks carried out by gangs controlling the area. They denounced a deliberate act, stating that “it is not just a building that was burned: it is years of work that have been wiped out.”
For the school leadership, the destruction is a direct attack on “an entire community and on education itself,” within an already fragile national climate. They describe the act as “barbaric, irresponsible, and criminal,” intended to break the spirit of those who teach or seek to learn.
The assailants first burned the residential portion of the institution, then returned the following day to destroy the entire site. A video circulating on social media shows the building completely devastated, while attempts to contact the administration have so far been unsuccessful.
For months, the school—located at the intersection of Avenue Christophe and Avenue Jean-Paul II—had been inaccessible due to recurring violence. Founded in 1905 by the Daughters of Wisdom, the institution reaffirmed its determination to pursue its educational mission despite the loss, reminding the public of its motto: “Je sers” (“I serve”).
