A stone cross in Le Tréport, Seine-Maritimes, a construction listed as a historical monument, was vandalised in the middle of the night on Thursday, France Bleu reported.
Residents of Le Tréport woke up to an unpleasant surprise on August 15. An imposing stone cross on Place du Général-de-Gaulle, a listed historical monument, was vandalised in the middle of the night. Early in the morning it was found broken into several pieces by city officials. Local authorities filed a complaint and an investigation was launched to find those responsible and shed light on the case.
Are drunken youths to blame?
The mayor of Le Tréport, Laurent Jacques, is particularly affected by this act of vandalism. He said:
It’s a bit of a shock not only for the elected representatives, but also for the local population. This cross has stood here since the 1600s, and it has been listed as a historical monument since 1913. And everyone wonders why.
According to initial information provided by the mayor, the damage was caused by a group of drunken young men who were passing through the area around 4 a.m. Laurent Jacques said:
We assume they were hanging around the monument. It may have weakened over time, we can also speculate, but apparently they hung themselves from it, and unfortunately the monument succumbed.
Act with no religious motives
The mayor also wants to put to rest a number of rumours about the vandals’ motives. He explains that he remains convinced “that this act has nothing to do with religious vandalism” and that the fact that it happened on August 15, Assumption Day, is just a coincidence. There are no CCTV cameras in Place du Général-de-Gaulle, but several cameras have been installed nearby and their images are currently being viewed by police. Neighbours have also been interviewed to try to understand what happened. Mayor Laurent Jacques says he will do his best to restore the cross, although as a historical monument it may take some time.
Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, leader of the party Debout la France (France Arise), commented the act on X:
The famous stone cross, dating back to 1618, was destroyed on Assumption Day in Treport. While #Darmanen brags from Paris, anti-Semitic and anti-Christian acts are multiplying across France. Stop feeling impunity, the perpetrators must be severely punished!
