Teen Attacks Teacher With Hunting Knife Inside Brazilian Classroom as Terrifying Struggle Is Caught on Camera

A routine moment inside a Brazilian classroom suddenly turned violent when a 17-year-old student pulled out a hunting knife and attacked her teacher — leaving the educator fighting to protect herself as the entire confrontation was captured by a security camera.

The incident happened on September 11, 2026, at Dr. Gerson dos Santos Peres State School in Cametá, in the northeastern region of Pará.

The student, whose identity has not been released because she is a minor, was alone in the classroom with teacher Betânia de Almeida Prestes when the attack began.

A sudden attack inside an empty classroom

Security footage shows the teenager standing close to the teacher’s desk. For several moments, nothing appears unusual.

Then the student suddenly produces a knife and moves toward Betânia.

The teacher immediately tries to defend herself, grabbing at the student’s arm and attempting to stop further blows. The two become involved in a physical struggle, with Betânia at one point falling to the floor as she tries to take control of the weapon.

The teacher eventually manages to get to the classroom door and escape into the corridor. During the confrontation, however, she was stabbed in the back.

The footage also shows the student pursuing her as she tries to get away.

Police later recovered the knife inside a school trash bin.

Teacher was taken to hospital

School employees called for help after the attack, and Betânia was taken to the Regional Hospital of Cametá.

She required stitches, but medical examinations found that the wound had not damaged any organs. She remained under observation before being discharged on Saturday, September 12.

The school subsequently asked people not to circulate images showing the injured teacher, citing respect for her privacy and recovery.

A family member told Brazilian media that the attack happened after the teacher had graded the student’s mathematics exam.

However, reports differ on the precise circumstances surrounding the alleged motive. Some local reports said a low grade may have played a role, while police reports cited in other coverage say the teenager told officers she attacked Betânia because she did not like her. Authorities are investigating the circumstances of the incident.

Teenager taken into custody

The student, who was in the final year of high school, was apprehended at the scene and taken to the Civil Police station in Cametá. Her mother and the Child Protection Council were also contacted because of her age.

According to police accounts reported by Brazilian media, the teenager acknowledged using the hunting knife and indicated where it had been discarded.

Because she is a minor, the legal proceedings differ from those that would apply to an adult. Lawyer Thays Cruz told the New York Post that a minor is not considered criminally liable under Brazil’s system, but can face a socio-educational measure for an act corresponding to an offense such as attempted homicide.

Cruz said that, given the seriousness of the alleged attack, a measure involving confinement could potentially be considered.

Education workers demand investigation

The attack prompted condemnation from the Union of Public Education Workers of Pará, which expressed solidarity with Betânia and called for authorities to fully investigate what happened.

The union also demanded measures to protect education workers, emphasizing that violence against teachers affects the wider school community.

The case remains under investigation by the Pará Civil Police, while the circumstances leading up to the attack continue to be examined.