Who is the mysterious arsonist?
The second judicial police district has just taken up the fires which have been the target for several days in Parisian churches.
An investigation for “voluntary degradation by means of an incendiary device because of religion” has just been opened.
According to our information, two religious buildings in the capital have recently been damaged, one of them twice.
Three events in total occurred each time in the early morning.
The Notre-Dame-de-Fatima church, located on boulevard Sérurier in Paris (19th century), was hit twice on January 17 and January 22.
According to a source close to the investigation, the door of the building was sprayed with a flammable liquid.
A fire would then have been lit using newspapers.
The fire did not spread inside the building.
The third downgrade dates back to January 18.
This time at the Saint-Martin-des-Champs church, located rue Albert-Thomas in Paris (Xe).
A fire was lit with pieces of wood in front of the main door.
This time the damage was greater.
The fire had indeed spread inside.
A man captured by CCTV
The responsiveness of two people had allowed the situation to turn tragic.
“This fire was quickly contained thanks to the responsiveness of the students housed in the church, Father Stéphane-Paul Bentz had informed his parishioners.
Awakened by fire alarms in their rooms, which were beginning to be smoky, they called the fire department.
The rapid arrival of help put an end to the disaster.
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According to the priest, "video surveillance shows that a man came shortly before 5 am and started [the fire] with the help of fuel brought on purpose, probably hydrocarbons".
Father Stéphane-Paul Bentz then lodged a complaint at the police station.
“This degradation could have had dramatic consequences for this church, completed in 1856, built in half-timbered construction, explains Aleteia, the Christian news site.
Indeed, Saint-Martin-des-Champs was originally intended to be a temporary church and was built with economical materials, in particular wood covered with stucco.
Such an act could therefore have caused the total destruction of the building.
The church remains open and access is now through the side doors, specifies the parish.
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According to our information, no arrests had yet taken place on Tuesday morning.
