Convicted in the past of “damaging a religious building”, the suspect admitted to setting the fire.
Photo: François Decoster/ Facebook
Newsroom (04/09/2024 19:49, Gaudium Press) Two days after the fire at the Immaculate Conception Church in Saint-Omer (Pas-de-Calais), France, the suspect – who had previously been convicted of “damaging a religious building” and detained by the police – confessed his actions in court on Wednesday. According to the Saint-Omer prosecutor, Mehdi Benbouzid, the individual admitted to breaking into the church to steal money from the vaults and then setting fire to the place.
The 30-year-old man, a French national, was arrested on Monday evening. The prosecutor revealed that he had previously been convicted of similar acts and released from prison at the end of August, after spending a long time in detention for theft and vandalism and staying in a shelter. He had also been convicted several times for acts of arson, including the vandalism of religious buildings, the magistrate pointed out.
After the fire, investigators found signs of a break-in at the church. According to reports, the suspect broke one of the church’s windows to break in. The church, which has a neo-Gothic style, underwent extensive renovation in 2018. Attacks on churches have increased in France in recent years, with repeated cases of arson. Indeed, according to AFP data, 39 church fires were reported in France between 2023 and the first six months of 2024.
The French Interior Ministry recorded almost 1,000 hate crimes against Christians in 2023, with 90% of these incidents targeting churches and cemeteries.
Compiled By Dominic Joseph
