Nantes cathedral fire: Volunteer admits starting blaze
by
Richard Burt
DM Magazine Writer
A church volunteer has admitted starting a fire that devastated the cathedral in the French city of Nantes last week, his lawyer has said.
The Rwandan refugee, who worked as a warden at the cathedral, was rearrested on Saturday night.
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No motive for the fire, which destroyed the cathedral's 17th Century organ as well as historic stained-glass windows, has been given.
His lawyer told reporters his client felt "relief" after confessing.
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"It's someone who is scared, who is somehow overwhelmed," his lawyer, Quentin Chabert, was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency.
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The 39-year-old volunteer, who has not been named, was initially detained for questioning after the blaze but then released without charge.
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He had been in charge of locking up the Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul cathedral the day before the blaze on 18 July.
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Officials had previously said that the fire was believed to have been arson and had been started in three different places.
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Nantes prosecutor Pierre Sennes said on Saturday that the man had been charged with "destruction and damage by fire" and could face up to 10 years in prison and €150,000 ($175,000; £135,000) in fines, according to the AFP news agency.
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Around 100 firefighters managed to stop the flames from destroying the main structure at the cathedral. French Prime Minister Jean Castex praised their "professionalism, courage and self-control".
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The fire came about 15 months after a blaze nearly destroyed Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.
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