The priest Olivier Maire was assassinated Monday in Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre, in Vendée.

The alleged assassin who was housed in the victim's religious community is also the alleged arsonist of Nantes cathedral in 2020. He was prohibited from leaving the territory pending trial.

An investigation was opened Monday for "intentional homicide" after the death of a priest in Vendée.

It is the alleged arsonist of Nantes cathedral in 2020 who accused himself of this crime.

He was interned on Monday evening, his police custody having been deemed "incompatible with his state of health".

As part of his judicial control linked to the fire, the 40-year-old man of Rwandan nationality had been staying in the religious community to which the victim belonged, in Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre, since the end of May.

"We cannot anticipate an act of murderous madness"

The alleged assassin had indeed lived among the religious for more than two months thanks to his victim.

The priest Olivier Maire had agreed to welcome him after almost a year of pre-trial detention.

The man had the obligation to reside there according to a decision validated by a judge, so that he was under surveillance until his trial.

Only, the forties quickly expressed the wish to leave.

Something that the victim reported to the gendarmes.

An initiative which would then have psychologically jostled the suspect, hospitalized thereafter for a month for psychiatric disorders.

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After which the latter returned to live among the religious a little more than ten days ago. For Father Hugues de Woillemont, spokesperson for the bishops' conference of France and guest from Europe Morning, this man did indeed have psychiatric difficulties. "I think that Father Olivier Maire, who had a good knowledge of the prison environment, had to take precautions and welcomed him with a certain form of safety. But we cannot anticipate an act of murderous madness", a- he judged. So revenge against the one who reported it to the gendarmerie or excess of madness? A preliminary murder investigation to determine the motives for this gesture was opened in the wake of Monday. "It is also the call of the Gospel to take the risk ofwelcome those people whom no one wants, continued Father Hugues de Woillemont. 

The impossibility of being deported

Since this tragic event, many elected representatives of the opposition denounce the laxity of the State and the justice system in the care of the individual.

"We cannot exploit the death of a person," replied the spokesperson for the bishops' conference of France on Europe 1, who called instead at this time for meditation.

In fact, this man of Rwandan nationality who arrived in France in 2012 has always been refused refugee status.

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According to the Ministry of the Interior, he was the target of three deportation orders to the border issued by a prefect. Two were invalidated by the Nantes administrative court and the suspect appealed again during the third obligation to leave the territory, in November 2019. According to the first elements of the investigation, this asylum request had apparently t -it was supported by the Christian community of Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre. Anyway, while awaiting trial following the fire in Nantes cathedral, the alleged assassin could not be expelled. The criminal decision of its judicial control having priority over an administrative decision.