The police arrested a man for defacing the Sacré-Cœur church in Nice on September 6. He smashed several statues and threw a knife at a woman.
Security cameras captured footage of the assailant entering the church at 2.40 p.m. According to witnesses, the man quickly proved to be aggressive. "A strong man came in, enraged. He threw a knife at a woman but she managed to dodge. He then started to demolish the statues and then went down to the crypt where people were praying," Father Jean-Baptiste said.
The police arrived within minutes and managed to arrest the perpetrator on the spot.
The incident caused great concern among worshippers and passers-by. Although the identity of the individual has not yet been confirmed, he is also suspected of trying to hit a second church with stones.