Fire in Laupersdorfs church - arsonist charged
A 36-year-old Swiss man has been charged with the arson of St Martin's Church in Laupersdorf on 16 September and the burning of several vehicles in Grellingen. The church fire caused immense damage.
He was accused of setting several fires in the church during the night, using petrol as an accelerant. The fire caused property damage totalling more than 200,000 Swiss francs. He is also accused of setting fire to a car in a car park in Grellingen.
Rudolf Schnyder, long-standing president of the Laupersdorf parish, expressed his dismay. ‘Who would do such a thing?’ The interior of the church, which was built in 1859/60, was renovated just a few years ago with the involvement of the conservation authorities. ‘The whole church was full of smoke on Saturday morning, it was terrible.’ The altar cloth and some of the cushions were burnt, and the pews and floor were also damaged.
Worse still for Schnyder, the fire in the church left the entire interior covered in soot. ‘Every seat cover, every pew, the walls, even the organ keys,’ he lists. It is even possible that the organ will have to be taken apart and completely cleaned. ‘That would be a costly affair,’ says Schnyder.
Picture: Police Department Solothurn