Dr. Alban Gervaise, PhD, a 40-year-old radiologist from Marseille who was stabbed multiple times outside his children's school on 10 May, has died as a result of his injuries, according to reports in the French media.
Dr. Alban Gervaise.Gervaise worked at Laveran military hospital in Marseille. He had just collected his two oldest children, 3 and 7 years old, from school in the 13th district of Marseille when he was attacked from behind by a 23-year-old man wielding a Swiss army knife. He was stabbed repeatedly in the throat, neck, and chest, the Figaro reported.
The assailant, a French national who has been named in the media as Mohamed L, had been sitting on a bench but got up and attacked the doctor as the latter approached his car with his children, 50 meters from the school.
Four bystanders were able to eventually restrain the man, who allegedly cried "Allahu Akbar" at the time of the assault during which he stabbed Gervaise around 10 times. After his arrest, the assailant allegedly told the police that he killed the father of three "in the name of God," but he also evoked "the devil." The police heard the man make several other "delirious statements" while he was under arrest, according to the Figaro.
The police have indicated that their inquiries have uncovered no signs of radicalization at the attacker's home, and they believe the assailant, who was already known to the police, has a psychological disorder. The crime will not be treated as terrorism but most likely as voluntary homicide, the paper reported.
After the attack, Gervaise was taken by emergency services to the hospital in a state of cardiac arrest. Despite medical care, he succumbed to his injuries during the night between 26 and 27 May.
"To his wife, children, family, friends, and brothers in arms, I send my deepest condolences. I am with you," said Marion Bareille, mayor of the 13th and 14th districts of Marseille, in a statement. "I hope that justice will be carried out with extreme severity because I cannot accept that such a tragedy remains unpunished."
A report posted on 30 May by Le Quotidien du Medicin has attracted 10 comments.
Gervaise was an experienced radiologist with skills in MRI, radiation safety, clinical research, and medical devices, noted his LinkedIn page. He obtained the European Diploma in Radiology in 2014 and his doctorate from Lorraine University focused on health and medical physics. He had worked at military hospitals since 1999 and had been stationed at Laveran hospital since August 2021.
At RSNA 2012, Gervaise won a certificate of merit for his poster about iterative reconstruction in musculoskeletal CT. In June 2020, he was first author of an article published in European Radiology about COVID-19 patients who have high D-dimer levels and are good candidates for CT pulmonary angiography to rule out acute pulmonary embolism.
Funeral arrangements
The funeral is due to take place on Tuesday 7 June at 11 am at the church of Saint-Jerome in Marseille. In the announcement, Gervaise's family gave thanks to the intensive care team at Hospital Nord, where he eventually died.
The family has requested that any donations go to Bleuet de France, a charity for veterans and the families of soldiers who have lost their lives. The bleuet, or cornflower, symbolizes delicacy and innocence.
