Two Romanians accused of stealing bronze statuettes from French cemeteries

Two Romanian citizens, aged 32 and 34, are due to stand trial next month in Laval, France. They are accused of stealing bronze statuettes and desecrating 15 cemeteries in northwestern France, according to Le Figaro.

The same source noted that the Laval Prosecutor’s Office opened a judicial investigation following acts of vandalism on gravestones, which took place during the night of April 15 to 16. The case prosecutor told the French press that the two men had already been convicted for similar acts. They were detained on Tuesday, May 5, by gendarmes at their homes.

Placed in custody, the Romanian men admitted that they stole a total of 84 bronze statuettes and ornaments from six cemeteries in the Mayenne department and nine cemeteries in the Ille-et-Vilaine department. The damage is estimated to be between EUR 20,000 and EUR 25,000.

Initially, the two were supposed to be tried on Thursday, in an immediate trial procedure, for “group thefts accompanied by destruction and desecration of graves.” However, the case was postponed until June 16.

(Photo source: Sergei Babenko|Dreamstime.com)