Suspect in custody for Saint-Omer church fire

A man born in 1985, already known for similar acts of destruction by fire, was taken into police custody on the evening of Monday 2 September. The Saint-Omer public prosecutor’s office announced on Tuesday 3 September that the man, who has a long criminal record, is currently being questioned. According to prosecutor Mehdi Benbouzid, the investigation revealed ‘traces of forced entry’ into the church, where a stained glass window had been broken before the fire broke out.

Criminal act under investigation

The fire, which broke out in the Church of the Immaculate Conception at around 4.30am on Sunday night, caused considerable damage, including the collapse of the bell tower. Although no-one was injured, 57 local residents were evacuated as a precaution. The prosecutor is considering a criminal charge of ‘destruction of property by dangerous means on religious grounds’. The church, which was inaugurated in 1859 and recently restored in 2018, lost part of its heritage, but 20 religious objects were saved thanks to the intervention of the Works Safeguarding Unit.