Arson to Church In Northern France causes extensive Damage
On Easter Monday evening, 5. April, a fire broke out in the listed collegiate church of Saint-Nicolas in Avesnes-Sur-Helpe near Cambrai, causing extensive damage to the church. A man was placed in custody facing 10 years of prison for the arson attack to the church. It seems that the fire was set near the wooden altarpiece, leading to several works being destroyed or damaged.
Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin visited the collegiate church and wrote on his Twitter account: "I know the sadness felt by the Avesnois and Catholics of the North following the fire at the collegiate church of Saint-Nicolas. They have my full support".
As part of the investigation to determine the causes of the fire that damaged the collegiate church of Saint-Nicolas in Avesnes-sur-Helpe on Monday 5 April, a young man has been taken into custody. According to the Cécile Gressier, the public prosecutor in Avesnes-sur-Helpe, the man of ‘’foreign nationality, known to the judicial services for common crimes,’’ was arrested the next day in a neighboring town. On the Easter weekend, the religious building, a listed historic monument, was damaged and numerous valuable works of art. The police suspect the fire has been set deliberately and is investigating under arson.
The mayor of Avesnes-sur-Helpe, Sébastien Seguin, explained in a statement that "the fire spread to the right nave destroying a number of works that we are in the process of listing with the archaeological and historical society of the town and the state services“.
The prefect of the Nord region had praised the work of the firemen "who, by the speed of their intervention, quickly brought under control the fire which caused a lot of damage inside the building without damaging its structure".
Sources: Boulevard Voltaire, France Info, domradio.de, BFMTV.com, Twitter
Photo from Twitter