Saint-Usage: An anti-Muslim act denounced by the Minister of the Interior after the discovery of a dead wild boar in front of a mosque

On November 1st, just before midnight, a dead wild boar was found in the vicinity of the premises of the Franco-Turkish cultural association in Saint-Usage (Côte-d’Or). The site also houses a mosque, and the discovery of the animal caused a stir in the local community. According to a gendarmerie source, the association quickly announced its intention to lodge a complaint. Olivier Caracotch, Dijon’s public prosecutor, confirmed the opening of an investigation for “public insult of a discriminatory nature”.

Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau reacted sharply on Saturday November 2, describing the act as “intolerable anti-Muslim”. Also recalling the recent attempted firebombing of the Amiens mosque, he expressed on social networks his full support, and that of the State, for the faithful affected by such acts. “Attacking places of worship is an unacceptable cowardice, indicative of barbaric violence”, said the Minister.

This incident is reminiscent of other similar acts: in December 2023, a boar was hung on the railings of a mosque in Essonne, and in March 2024, a boar’s head was found near a mosque in the Vosges. The penalties for such behavior are severe: public insults of a discriminatory nature can result in up to a year’s imprisonment and a €45,000 fine.