Overview

• Authorities arrested two suspected perpetrators, aged 28 and 34, and a 73-year-old suspected receiver in the Aisne after a coordinated inquiry.
• Roughly 30 incidents since June targeted churches across the Aisne, Somme, Marne and Nord, involving thefts, attempted thefts and damage to sacristies and tabernacles.
• Recovered items include chalices, ciboria, patens, monstrances and reliquaries, which prosecutors say carry high moral and religious value for communities.
• The suspects were presented to the Laon prosecutor’s office, placed under judicial supervision and scheduled for trial on December 9, 2025.
• Officials and investigators link the case to a wider rise in church thefts in France, citing lightly secured buildings and active resale markets where such objects can fetch thousands of euros.