French vandals arrested after desecrating statue of Our Lady

Editor’s note: The following story contains a deeply disturbing video and content. Reader discretion is advised.

PORTO-VECCHIO, France (LifeSiteNews) — Two young vandals on the French island of Corsica were arrested after destroying a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary late Wednesday night into Thursday morning, with dozens gathering later that day to protest and make reparation for the incident.

Uncensored video of the crime shows two unidentified males desecrating the statue, located at the southern exit of Port-Vecchio, that they later destroyed. Several locals quickly denounced the sacrilegious incident, with several gathering to protest the desecration at the vandalism site on Thursday afternoon.

“It’s outrageous because they’re desecrating what is most sacred,” Don Thibault Lambert, the priest of the parish that owns the statue, told French media. The priest also said he had filed a formal complaint.

“SHAME!” Porto-Vecchio Mayor Jean-Christophe Angelini declared in a Facebook post while denouncing the desecration. The politician had himself played a role in the erection of the statue near the town’s exit.

“At the start of our first term, at the request of Father Constant, we installed a statue of the Virgin Mary under the arch at the Stabiacciu roundabout,” the mayor said.

“This symbol, to which the people of Porto-Vecchio are deeply attached, was vandalized and destroyed last night by one or more irresponsible individuals,” he added. “On behalf of the City, as well as on my own behalf, I strongly condemn this unspeakable act.”

He further called for “a firm and swift response” from local authorities.

Two young men arrested

According to the French press, the Ajaccio District Attorney’s Office confirmed an investigation of the incident was proceeding amid strong reactions to the circulating video of the incident, evoking reactions of outrage and calls to manifest the community’s indignation.

The local outlet reported that two young men who are suspected of committing the crime were arrested by local law enforcement with apparent video of the arrests appearing on social media.

Ils ont ete arretes https://t.co/XcRbeHkWac pic.twitter.com/shszFPgGr8

— Matisse Royer (@MatRoyer) October 1, 2026

The French press also said that several dozen people came to the police station in order to protest the crime in the vicinity of the suspects, with one outlet reporting over 100 demonstrators. They provided video of protesters bringing an empty coffin to the gate of the facility and affixing the names of the suspects on it as a warning, expressing the collective outrage of the community over the incident.

Plus d’une centaine de personnes sont rassemblées, ce jeudi 1er octobre en début d’après-midi, devant la gendarmerie de Porto-Vecchio, à la suite d’un appel citoyen lancé sur les réseaux après que la statue de la Sainte Vierge a été vandalisée au rond-point du Stabiacciu. Un… pic.twitter.com/L3Qpl04pwD

— Corse-Matin (@Corse_Matin) October 1, 2026

Reparation made to the Blessed Virgin Mary

In the aftermath of the desecration, the local Catholic parish, which owns the statue, called for calm and invited locals to gather at the Stabiacciu roundabout on Thursday evening to celebrate the beginning of the Month of the Holy Rosary, which had been scheduled to be held in the local church but was moved following the vandalism.

Large crowds gathered in sorrow due to the desecration but also consoled by the opportunity to make reparation to the Blessed Virgin Mary for such an awful offense.

Posting several pictures of the event on Facebook, the local parish acknowledged that “Tonight, our hearts are heavy but also comforted: we were able to tell our Santa Maria once again how much we love her! This moment of prayer and unity did credit to the parish and the town of Porto-Vecchio. Evviva Maria!”

For his part, Mayor Angelini assured, “the destroyed statue will be replaced as soon as possible, in accordance with our traditions, the wishes of the people of Porto-Vecchio, and our political will.”

This story has been updated.