A man was taken into custody in Paris after stealing the sword from a Joan of Arc statue in broad daylight.
The theft occurred in January 2026 at Place Saint-Augustin in the city’s 8th arrondissement, near the Saint-Augustin church. The statue, erected in 1895, is one of four cast versions displayed in public spaces.
Video and eyewitness reports show the suspect approaching the monument, violently shaking it, climbing onto the statue, and tearing the sword free before running off.
According to Le Parisien, police quickly identified and arrested the man. Paris deputy mayor for heritage Karen Taieb said the suspect broke the sword off “using his bare hands.”
The sword has since been recovered and will be reattached after inspections. Authorities say there is no evidence the act was part of a wider plan, and the motive remains unknown.
The incident follows another recent case of public vandalism, after an Australian teenager was charged in late 2025 for placing googly eyes on a high-value public sculpture.