Woman detained for vandalizing nearly 100 Catholic graves in Moselle cemetery

Early on Tuesday, locals reported to the gendarmerie that numerous tombstones in the historic cemetery of Maizières-lès-Metz had been defaced. Police inspection confirmed damage to 96 graves, with crosses and crucifixes broken and left on the ground. A 32-year-old woman was later seen by authorities at the cemetery, confessed to the vandalism, and was placed in custody without delay.

Prosecutor David Touvet announced a flagrant inquiry for alleged violation or profanation of a burial monument linked to a specific religion. Mayor Julien Freyburger expressed outrage on social media, describing the act as a violent, targeted assault on Catholic symbols and calling for a strict sentence. The incident occurs less than two weeks before Pope Léon XIV’s scheduled visit to Metz, raising concerns about security and religious tolerance.