Montreal police have confirmed a man was arrested after a Côte Saint-Luc synagogue was vandalized in May 2020.
Patrice Belley-Gervais was arrested on March 10 and appeared in court on the same day.
Audrey Roy-Cloutier, a spokesperson for Quebec’s Crown prosecutor said Belley-Gervais was charged with breaking and entering in connection with the incident.
While it’s unclear when the break-in happened, congregants of the Sepharde Kol Yehouda synagogue discovered the place had been ransacked on May 27.
At the time, B’nai Brith Canada, a Jewish rights advocacy group, called the incident an outrageous display of anti-Semitism after Torah scrolls were found on the floor and other religious items were stuffed in the toilets.
Torah scrolls are considered extremely sacred in Judaism, to the extent that damaged scrolls are typically buried in a cemetery, rather than being disposed of in any other manner, according to the organization.
“To desecrate the most sacred object we have in the Jewish faith is outrageous,” B’nai Brith CEO Michael Mostyn told Global News in May.
In a news release, Mostyn expressed relief at news of the arrest.
“We are thankful and relieved that a suspect has been arrested in connection with this deplorable incident,” he said.
“The wanton desecration of places of worship must carry consequences, regardless of motivation.”
Belley-Gervais is expected back in court on April 30.
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