A Rwandan asylum seeker admitted to igniting the fire that damaged a centuries-old Gothic cathedral in France.
The cathedral in the western French city of Nantes was torched on July 18, destroying an organ from the 17th century and stained glass dating back to the 16th century. A volunteer for the cathedral admitted to lighting the fire, according to his lawyer.
“My client is relieved to have told the truth,” the unnamed suspect’s lawyer, Quentin Chabert, said at a news conference on Sunday.
“He bitterly regrets his actions … My client is consumed with remorse,” said Chabert of his client, who has been in the country for several years, according to France 24 News.
The man, who has not been publicly identified, was responsible for locking the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul at night, and officials in the country were able to tie him to the arson through forensic evidence, the New York Times reported.
The local prosecutor said the man was charged with arson and faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of roughly $175,000.
“We have determined that the man was in the area of the cathedral the morning the fire broke,” said local prosecutor Pierre Sennes. “We noticed, in two or three locations where the fire started, troubling elements that could corroborate a criminal act.” He added that an “inflammable product” was also found in the building.
“He admitted during his first appearance for questioning before the examining magistrate to have lit three fires in the cathedral: at the main organ, at the small organ, and at the electrical panel,” Sennes said.
The church dates back to 1434, with construction spanning centuries. It was previously damaged by a fire in 1972 and endured a rebuilding process for over a decade, according to French media.
French government officials said the church will be restored in an endeavor expected to last years.
“It will take several weeks to secure the site … and several months of inspections which will be carried out stone by stone,” French official Philippe Charron said.
