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Laval Court Sets Fast-Track Hearing for Two in 15-Cemetery Bronze Theft Case

The fast-track hearing signals prosecutors view the case as straightforward.

Overview

  • The pair are due at 14:00 Thursday in Laval in a comparution immédiate, a fast-track hearing used when suspects are caught with clear facts.
  • Prosecutors say the men, Romanian nationals aged 32 and 34, were arrested at their homes by gendarmes after which they admitted the thefts.
  • The charges cover grouped thefts with damage and grave violations committed between April 10 and 16, with widespread desecration reported overnight April 15–16 in southern Mayenne.
  • Investigators counted 84 bronze statuettes and ornaments taken from six cemeteries in Mayenne and nine in Ille‑et‑Vilaine, for losses estimated at €20,000 to €25,000.
  • The case includes violations of sepultures, a French offense that punishes damage to graves and highlights the distress for families who found memorials missing or broken.