Student indicted over Rouen university fire, held in custody
A student in his twenties was indicted and placed in pre-trial detention over the 17 October fire at the University of Rouen, prosecutors said.
A student in his twenties was indicted on Thursday over the fire that damaged a building at the University of Rouen in the early hours of 17 October, and was placed in pre-trial detention, Rouen prosecutor Sébastien Gallois said.
The student was charged with "destruction by fire" and stayed silent during questioning that began on Tuesday, Gallois said. Investigators used CCTV footage to quickly identify the suspect, who lives on the Mont-Saint-Aignan campus, almost opposite the building that burned, the prosecutor said.
Gallois described the student as having an "a priori ordinary" profile and said he "did not act alone," meaning investigators still need to identify who else may have helped plan the fire at the Espace Michel-Serres building.
The fire broke out shortly before dawn on 17 October, apparently starting in a pile of rubbish or a bin outside the building's entrance, and damaged two floors and part of the roof; no one was injured, according to the prosecutor. The building, renovated in 2020 for €1.1 million, houses student services and two lecture halls and was not affected by the student and pupil blockades under way at the time, the university said. The exact cost of the damage has not yet been estimated.
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What we know
- Official · prosecutor Sébastien Gallois A student in his twenties was indicted and placed in pre-trial detention over the fire at the University of Rouen, prosecutor Sébastien Gallois said.
- Official · prosecutor Sébastien Gallois He was charged with "destruction by fire" and stayed silent during questioning, the prosecutor said.
- 1 outlet · Franceinfo CCTV footage helped investigators quickly identify the suspect, who lives on the Mont-Saint-Aignan campus near the burned building.
- 1 outlet · Franceinfo The fire broke out in the early hours of 17 October and damaged two floors and part of the roof; no one was injured.
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Why it matters for Europe
The fire happened during a wave of student and high-school mobilisation across France, though the university said the burned building, which houses student services and two lecture halls, was not itself involved in the blockades. The prosecutor said the suspect "did not act alone," meaning the investigation into the fire is not yet over.
Sources
Reported by 3 reports from 3 independent outlets in 1 countries.
- Franceinfo: Le suspect de l'incendie à l'université de Rouen présenté à un juge d'instruction en vue de sa mise en examen
- Le Progrès: Seine-Maritime. Incendie à l'université de Rouen le 17 octobre : un étudiant mis en examen et écroué
- BFMTV: Incendie à l'université de Rouen: un étudiant mis en examen et placé en détention provisoire
Source balance
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Questions and answers
- What happened at the University of Rouen?
- A fire broke out at the Espace Michel-Serres building in the early hours of 17 October, damaging two floors and part of the roof; no one was injured.
- Who has been charged?
- A student in his twenties was indicted for "destruction by fire" and placed in pre-trial detention, prosecutor Sébastien Gallois said.
- Did the suspect act alone?
- No. The prosecutor said he "did not act alone" and that investigators still need to identify who else may have been involved.
This article was written with AI assistance from 3 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.