Cemetery desecrated in Maizières-lès-Metz: 32-year-old woman in police custody
96 tombs vandalised in Maizières-lès-Metz, ten days before the Pope's visit. A 32-year-old woman came forward and was placed in police custody.
Desecration of the former cemetery in Maizières-lès-Metz: suspect turns herself in
Ninety-six tombs were damaged in the former cemetery of Maizières-lès-Metz, a commune in Moselle located some ten kilometres from Metz. According to TF1 Info, the vandalism was discovered on Tuesday 15 September shortly before 7am, after residents alerted the authorities upon hearing noise.
Crosses weighing up to 150 kilogrammes, statues of Jesus Christ and crucifixes were knocked down or broken. The cemetery contains a total of 1,472 tombs. The mayor of the commune, Julien Freyburger, clarified that no theft had been committed: "It is an act of pure vandalism."
"It is Catholic religion that is being targeted"
Julien Freyburger made no attempt to hide his interpretation of the facts at a press conference held at the town hall early in the evening. The mayor drew a direct link to the forthcoming visit of Pope Leo XIV, expected in the region within less than two weeks. "It is Catholic religion that is being targeted," he stated.
On social media, the elected official expressed the municipality's indignation: "Very many families are very shocked." He also demanded exemplary punishment of those responsible, denouncing what he described as "cowardly vandalism of rare violence".
A woman turns herself in voluntarily to the gendarmerie
In the afternoon, a suspect came forward of her own accord. According to a statement from the prosecutor of the Republic in Metz, David Touvet, witnesses had previously told police they had seen a woman damaging a tomb before leaving the cemetery.
"At 14:45 on this day, a 32-year-old woman presented herself voluntarily to the police forces present at the cemetery and stated that she had committed the vandalism. She was immediately placed in police custody," the magistrate said.
David Touvet clarified that crosses and crucifixes had been "damaged and broken, and gathered on the ground in various locations in the cemetery", without the reasons for these gatherings being established at this stage.
Investigation assigned to two gendarmerie brigades
The Metz prosecutor's office opened a summary investigation into "violation or desecration of a grave or monument erected in memory of the dead, committed by reason of the real or supposed religious affiliation of the deceased persons".
Investigations were assigned to the gendarmerie brigade of Maizières-lès-Metz and the investigation brigade of Metz. Criminal identification technicians carried out technical findings throughout the day as well as the collection of traces and evidence.
The police custody of the 32-year-old woman continued into the evening. Prosecutor Touvet provided no information about the possible motive of the suspect or her profile. "Further information will be communicated later depending on how the investigation progresses," he concluded.
Source: TF1 Info