The investigation is moving forward after the fire in Nantes cathedral on Saturday July 18. Quickly, the public prosecutor had reported elements suggesting that the origin of the fire could be criminal.
Later in the evening, it was discovered that no signs of break-in had been detected even though the building had been locked. According to RTL, the new element pointed to a 39-year-old man, a Rwandan illegal immigrant who worked as a volunteer for the diocese. He was arrested on Saturday as part of the investigation into arson and taken into custody.
ALERTE INFO. Incendie de la cathédrale de Nantes: le bénévole du diocèse relâché ce dimanchehttps://t.co/asANXAoLeb pic.twitter.com/iQeXV3Mohz
— BFMTV (@BFMTV) July 19, 2020
But according to information from BFMTV, the individual was released on Sunday evening, “without charges”. His lawyer, Quentin Chabert, said “no human lives were endangered”. Secondly, the lawyer argued, “Catholic communities must be able to show mercy” towards the perpetrators of the fire.
A large part of the Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul cathedral was devastated inside, in particular the majestic organ as well as the stained-glass windows. Invited by FranceInfo to speak about the arson, Mathieu Lours, a historian specializing in the architecture of cathedrals, believes that “it is a tragedy because it is one of the most beautiful organs in France which has just gone up in smoke”.
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