In the small forest village of Temple, located in the south of Médoc, the cemetery at the entrance to the town, on the edge of the forest, was desecrated. The events allegedly occurred on the night of Sunday September 15 to Monday September 16. It was a local elected official who notified the police. On site, the soldiers noted that a vault had been opened, and that there had been three other attempts to open neighboring vaults. According to the gendarmerie, “there was no body moved, desecrated or an open coffin”. This information had nevertheless circulated in the town, but it was unfounded.
No body moved
As part of the investigation, still ongoing, samples were taken by criminal identification technicians attached to the gendarmerie’s departmental research and judicial investigation brigade. Investigators were present on the scene on Monday September 16. Residents were able to see the criminal identification vehicle at the entrance to the cemetery. Still according to the Lesparre-Médoc gendarmerie company, the first elements of the investigation indicate “that there is no link between the four cellars, all in concession takeover. It is therefore not a single family that could have been targeted by these acts. The motivations leading to these desecrations remain unknown. »
According to the gendarmes, the motivations leading to these desecrations remain unknown.
Julien Lestage
The gendarmes also emphasize that “there is no apparent xenophobic or anti-Semitic character in the acts observed. We also have no signs suggesting a satanic or other pseudo-ceremony.” Finally, the investigations did not make it possible to establish that there had been thefts from the graves, which can happen during intrusions into cemeteries.
Contacted by “Sud Ouest”, Karine Nouette-Gaulain, the mayor of the town, only specifies “that all the families who are used to frequenting the cemetery have been informed of the desecrations”. While the investigation is ongoing, the elected official did not wish to make any further comments. In this village of less than 700 inhabitants, discretion prevails around this affair.
Julien Lestage
Families accustomed to frequenting the cemetery were warned by the municipality of acts of desecration
