Man Arrested for Stealing Sword from Joan of Arc Statue in Paris
A man was apprehended in Paris on Friday, January 2, for allegedly vandalizing and stealing the sword from a sculpture of Joan of Arc at Place Saint-Augustin in the city’s 8th arrondissement. The incident, which took place in broad daylight, shocked residents and authorities alike.
The sculpture, a bronze representation of Paul Dubois’s iconic 19th-century portrayal of the French heroine, features Joan of Arc mounted on a horse, brandishing her sword triumphantly. The suspect’s actions were captured on CCTV, showing him forcibly shaking the horse before climbing the statue and breaking off the sword with his bare hands.
Karen Taïeb, the deputy mayor of Paris responsible for heritage, history, and religious affairs, expressed her dismay over the incident in an interview with Le Parisien. She described the man’s destructive behavior as a violent act against a symbol of national pride.
Following the theft, the man attempted to flee with the broken sword, but he was intercepted by a passing police patrol. Although the weapon was recovered upon his arrest, the extent of the damage remains uncertain. Authorities are now evaluating whether the sword can be salvaged or if a replacement will be necessary.
The suspect is currently undergoing a psychological evaluation to determine his motives and mental state at the time of the crime. Meanwhile, the 8th arrondissement has lodged a formal complaint in response to the desecration of the statue.
