an investigation was opened by the Lorient public prosecutor’s office

After the media frenzy, justice wants to shed light. An investigation against X was opened after the destruction of small menhirs on a DIY store site in Carnac (Morbihan), confirmed the Lorient prosecutor’s office. According to prosecutor Stéphane Kellenberger, it follows a complaint received Monday from the Koun Breizh association. “denouncing a ‘willful destruction of archaeological heritage'” – the value of the menhirs is however debated. The investigation was entrusted to the research brigade of the Lorient gendarmerie.

In a joint press release dated Wednesday, the Koun Breizh associations and Sites & Monuments, another association for the defense of heritage, believe “that all the light must be shed to identify the flaws that led to the destruction of the monoliths and establish the responsibilities of each”. They also claim to condemn “firmly the threats of which the mayor of Carnac was the victim”. They are also calling on Culture Minister Rima Abdul-Malak to open a “administrative inspection mission”.

If it was first claimed that around forty small menhirs were destroyed on the construction site of a DIY store, the reality could be more complex. According to the document of the Archaeological Research Institute (Inrap), it is a set of 39 stones including the four main rocks, about 50 cm high, which served as the basis for the creation of a low wall, explains France 3.