Several Jesuses were stolen from the graves of the Ambérieu-en-Bugey cemetery, in Ain. The damage was allegedly committed during the Christmas holidays.
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This is an unexpected discovery to say the least. Residents of Ambérieu-en-Bugey, in Ain, discovered with shock that little Jesuses had disappeared from their crosses on the graves of the municipal cemetery, Friday December 27. “Several people came to us to report the thefts. They realized that the Jesuses had been removed from their crosses on their family graves. testifies an employee of the Ambérieu funeral home, confirming the information from our colleagues at Le Progrès.
The damage was allegedly committed during the Christmas holidays, a period when the cemetery is less busy. For believers, the theft of Jesus on this symbolic day resonates as a desecration.“We redirected them to the town hall, which manages the cemetery. Thefts from cemeteries are not new, but this is the first time we have had one of this magnitude here” underlines the employee.
These thefts required an expert hand, since tools were needed to be able to detach the religious figure from its cross. Only the bronze Jesuses were removed. Thefts of these metals are common in cemeteries, by unscrupulous looters who then resell them. “Lhe looting of graves is unfortunately frequent and regular. We often observe the theft of plaques, vases, flowers, with an increase during All Saints' Day. explains Clémence Viel-Cazal, grave cleaner, who works regularly at the Ambérieu municipal cemetery.
The police went to the scene and noted the thefts. “It is not a question of degradation, but of metal theft. We are potentially facing a new phenomenon of delinquency which targets cemeteries as a source to recover these metals. Because an entire cemetery can represent a significant quantity. The objects are then resold directly or melted down” indicates a source within the gendarmerie.
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