Astonishment for the Marseillais this Tuesday. Two teenagers aged 17 and 18 were taken into police custody, suspected of having broken into the Notre-Dame de la Garde site during the night. Information revealed by BFMTV and confirmed to Radio France by the Marseille prosecutor’s office. At the time of their arrest, the two young people were in possession of several kilos of coinscoming from offerings from the faithful.
In a press release, the diocese of Marseille wishes to rectify that only “the coins thrown by visitors on a roof of the site were stolen” and that it is not the money of the faithful. They are broken into around midnight, while climbing a roof. Quickly alerted by a sister from the basilica, the police arrested them on the spot.
“If we had known, we would have gone there that night and caught them!”
Around the basilica, the tourists and Marseille residents interviewed were unanimously stunned by the news. “I can’t believe, frankly, that people are attacking the Good Mother. It’s a shame“, reacts, shocked, Danièle who defines herself as “Marseille and Catholic“.
This resident of the Vauban district sees the basilica every day from her home: “She protects us, she protects the people of Marseille. Last night, we didn’t help her. If we had known, we would have gone there and caught them.”she jokes. This Tuesday morning, the Marseille prosecutor’s office also confirmed the opening of an investigation into aggravated theft.
