Priest Assaulted in Marseille

Case information
Incident date
Country
France
Place
Marseille
Categories
  • Social Hostility / Intolerance
Attack Against
  • Faith
Perpetrator / Motive Indicators
  • Private
Hate Crime & Violent Incidents
  • Physical Violence
  • Threats
Place of Incident
  • Public Street
Bias Indicators
  • Comments/Written Statements/Gestures/Graffiti
  • Victim/Witness Perception
Reported to Police
  • Yes
Response of Local Authorities
  • Unknown

A Dominican priest was with a group of high school students giving coffee to a homeless person when he was grabbed by the throat from behind by a stranger. The man then released the priest and said "I will not shake your hand." The priest was unhurt but shocked by the incident. He reported the incident because he thought he had been targeted because of his religious dress.