The fire of the church and several religious buildings in Saint-Louis is considered one of the significant events in the abuses which began on May 13 in New Caledonia. The public prosecutor Yves Dupas indicates in a press release sent this Sunday that the prosecution opened a judicial investigation on Friday for these acts committed between July 10 and 16. The investigation carried out by the research section of the Nouméa gendarmerie resulted in the indictment of three men, originally from the Saint-Louis tribe and already incarcerated for other acts of a criminal nature, namely attempts to murder of police officers and carjackings. The three people were indicted for willful damage to property by fire, an offense punishable by 10 years of imprisonment.
At the end of their indictment, the three alleged perpetrators were returned to the remand center, under the criminal committal warrant already ordered against them in another criminal procedure. The investigation continues under the authority of the investigating magistrate in order to identify and arrest the co-perpetrators or accomplices.
Nuns exfiltrated by the GIGN
As a reminder, on July 2, Rock Wamytan, known as Banane, and several associates decided to occupy the priory, after having expelled the guards from the presbytery, “even going so far as to wear cassocks on the premises”, specifies the prosecutor. On July 7, Banane attacked two nuns as well as members of the parish, threatening them and ordering them to leave the premises. Finally, the nuns will be exfiltrated by the GIGN, in a context of serious threats to their physical integrity. The first building, namely the reception house where the nuns lived, was set on fire on July 10, a few hours after the death of Rock Wamytan by return fire during a armed confrontation with the gendarmes, indicates Yves Dupas.
One of the accused admitted to having set fire to several mattresses in this reception house to “to clean” and therefore make the traces of blood of his friend Banana disappear. A witness specified that, in custom, “We should no longer see the blood, because evil spirits could come and absorb it, and thus cause other deaths”. On July 12 and 13, other premises were burned, as was the church on July 16.
The two other people indicted denied having participated in starting the fire, even if one of them admitted to being present on the scene at the time of the events.
Other religious buildings were also burned between July 10 and 16. Photo DR
