Corsican Catholics pray after Virgin Mary statue desecrated

Hundreds of people gathered in Corsica on Oct. 1 to pray after a statue of the Virgin Mary was torn from its pedestal and damaged near Porto-Vecchio. The local parish and the city filed a complaint following the incident, which occurred at a traffic circle near the southern entrance to the town.

The Ajaccio prosecutor’s office reported that video footage showed one man hanging from the statue while making lewd remarks and miming a sexual act as another man filmed. Authorities detained two seasonal hospitality workers, ages 21 and 24, later that morning. The men face prosecution for indecent exposure and aggravated damage to the statue to the detriment of the parish and the municipality.

A court placed the men under judicial supervision, ordered them not to return to Corsica, and required them to report to police in their home departments. Although an initial attempt to leave was disrupted, both men left the island by air on Oct. 4. They are scheduled to appear before the Ajaccio Criminal Court on Nov. 16 and remain presumed innocent.

In response to the desecration, more than 100 people gathered outside the gendarmerie following a social media appeal, and approximately 500 people later gathered at the traffic circle. The community participated in a public Rosary and prayers for the conversion of the accused men.