Fire set outside church of Saint-Éloi prompts police investigation

Case information
Incident date
Country
France
Place
Rouen
Categories
  • Social Hostility / Intolerance
Attack Against
  • Faith
Perpetrator / Motive Indicators
  • Private
Hate Crime & Violent Incidents
  • Arson
  • Vandalism (all)
Place of Incident
  • Church
Bias Indicators
  • Significance of Property/Structure/Location to religious community
  • Victim/Witness Perception
Reported to Police
  • Yes
Response of Local Authorities
  • Investigated
Image credit: Wiki Commons

On 20 July 2026, a fire was reported at the Saint-Éloi Protestant Church in Rouen after a mattress placed against the building was set alight. Passers-by extinguished the flames before firefighters arrived, preventing the fire from spreading to the historic church. Police have opened an investigation into the incident as a suspected arson attempt directed at the church.

On 20 July 2026, a mattress was placed against the entrance of the Saint-éloi Protestant Church in Rouen and is believed to have been deliberately set on fire. Passers-by managed to extinguish the flames before the fire department arrived. The firefighters arrived at the scene and confirmed the church did not suffer any structural damages thanks to the intervention.

According to reports, the incident is being investigated for a suspected attempt at arson targeting a Christian place of worship.

Sources