Thieves return golden rooster statue to villagers after 25 years

Thieves have returned a golden rooster statue to the villagers of Bessan, southwest of the country, after stealing it nearly 25 years ago.

The rooster statue, which was stolen in April 1999 from the roof of the Catholic church in Bessan, a village of 5,500 people in southwestern France, was returned wrapped in a parcel to historian Michel Sabatery in November 2023, French prosecutors confirmed on January 2.

After receiving the statue, Sabatery informed the village chief's office, who in turn notified prosecutor Raphael Balland.

Bessan village chief Stephane Pepin-Bonet said police quickly identified the thief, who used a personal credit card to pay the postage .

Part of the village of Bessan, southwestern France. Photo: Wikipedia

When he turned himself in to the police, the thief confessed that he had taken the golden rooster statue on a drunken night. When he sobered up, he felt too ashamed to return the statue and hid it in his basement. Nearly 25 years later, in his 40s, the thief decided it was time to return the statue.

Village chief Pepin-Bonet said a ceremony would be held to reattach the golden rooster to the church roof, but this time "it will be attached very tightly so that the rooster cannot fly away again".

Pepin-Bonet seemed willing to forgive the thief for his “youthful mistake.” However, he reminded people that the rooster statue was part of the village’s heritage, something that “may not be of great value, but belongs to everyone.”

French prosecutors have refused to reveal the identity of the statue's thief, who faces no legal action because France has a six-year statute of limitations for petty theft.

Ngoc Anh (According to AFP )

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