INSIDE JOB

Volunteer Charged with Arson of Nantes, France Cathedral

The volunteer, an unnamed 39-year-old Rwandan refugee, had been in charge of locking up the cathedral at night.

A volunteer at the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul in Nantes, France, confessed to setting a fire that caused significant damage at the 15th century church earlier in July. The man, an unnamed 39-year-old Rwandan refugee, was arrested Sunday after police obtained new forensic evidence. “My client is relieved to have told the truth,” said Quentin Chabert, the volunteer’s lawyer. The volunteer has been charged with arson and faces as many as 10 years in prison and a hefty fine if convicted. Police did not find evidence of a break-in in their investigation, and noted that there were three points at which the fire began. The volunteer facing arson charges had been in charge of locking up the cathedral at night. The motive was unclear.