A 19th-century church was partially destroyed in an arson attack on Sunday. Police say the main suspect in the case has not only been convicted of church burnings in the past, but was only just released from prison.
The 39-year-old suspect was arrested shortly after a fire consumed the Roman Catholic Immaculate Conception church in Saint-Omer, in the Pas-de-Calais region of France. It was revealed Tuesday, September 3, that he had been convicted of prior church attacks, attempting to set fire to at least five different churches.
The suspect had been in prison since 2021 but was recently released. While police say he has a history of attacking churches, the information they have released on him, beyond his sex and age, is limited, and they have not explained his motivation.
Social media reports have offered a name for the suspect and alleged he posted about Islam and Palestinian statehood, but such claims remain unverified as of the time of publication.
MANY INCIDENTS.
Over the last several years, attacks on French churches and other Christian sites have become so frequent that members of the Roman Catholic clergy and nonprofits are sounding alarm bells. […]
— Read More: thenationalpulse.com
