Two Young Men Held After Statue of Mary Damaged in Corsica
Listen to the story
A crowd gathered at Ajaccio airport in Corsica after two young men suspected of damaging a statue of the Virgin Mary could not leave the island.
The statue, located in the town of Porto-Vecchio, was reportedly vandalised, causing anger among local residents.
Local people have described the damage as very serious. The statue is important to many Christians in the area.
The two suspects tried to fly out of Corsica from Ajaccio airport, but a large crowd formed there.
Because of the crowd, police stepped in and the men were unable to board their flight.
The two young men are now expected to appear before a court. They will be prosecuted for the alleged damage to the statue.
News reports describe the incident as a shock to the community, with many people calling the act a desecration of a religious symbol.
It is not yet clear exactly how the statue was damaged, or what will happen next in the legal process.
The case has drawn strong attention on the island, where the statue held special meaning for local Christians.
Authorities are expected to give more details as the case moves forward.
Vocabulary10 words
- vandalised
- damaged on purpose, often to shock people
- damage
- harm done to something
- suspects
- people thought to have committed a crime, but not yet proven guilty
- court
- a place where a judge decides legal cases
- prosecuted
- taken to court and accused of a crime
- desecration
- treating something holy with great disrespect
- incident
- an event, often unpleasant or unusual
- community
- a group of people living in the same area
- religious symbol
- an object that represents a faith or belief
- authorities
- people or groups with official power, like police or government
📚 Ready to use these words in a real conversation?
Practice live with a real tutor on Preply.
Quiz
Answer key
1. At Ajaccio airport 2. It was damaged or vandalised 3. False
✅ Nice work on the quiz!
Keep the momentum going — book a live English lesson with a Preply tutor.
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
A crowd gathered at Ajaccio airport after two young men suspected of _____ a statue of the Virgin Mary could not leave the island.
The statue, located in Porto-Vecchio, was reportedly _____, causing anger among local residents.
Local people have described the _____ as very serious.
The two _____ tried to fly out of Corsica from Ajaccio airport, but a large crowd formed there.
Because of the crowd, police stepped in and the men were unable to board their _____.
The two young men are now expected to appear before a _____.
They will be _____ for the alleged damage to the statue.
News reports describe the incident as a shock to the _____.
Many people called the act a _____ of a religious symbol.
The case has drawn strong attention on the _____.
🎓 Enjoyed this story?
Turn today's reading into real speaking practice with a live Preply tutor.