Vandalize and desecrate Jean-Marie Le Pen's grave a few days after his burial

During the night of January 30 to 31, the tomb of Jean-Marie Le Pen, creator of the National Front, was vandalized in the cemetery of La Trinité-sur-Mer, in Morbihan. Police sources confirmed the incident, which was first reported by the media Ici Bretagne and later verified by MEP Gilles Pennelle.

The facts were confirmed by Philippe Olivier, the politician's son-in-law and also a MEP for the Rassemblement National (RN), in statements he made to Franceinfo. "I can confirm that the tomb has been desecrated," Olivier explained. La Gaceta has confirmed this.

A local resident had reported the damage before local authorities confirmed the extent of the destruction. For now, it is known that the Celtic cross that adorned the tomb has been destroyed.

So far, no precise details have been provided about the extent of the damage to the gray marble plaque. It bears Le Pen's name and his birth and death dates.

The authorities haven't provided information about the possible perpetrators of the vandalism or whether an investigation has been initiated.

Jean-Marie Le Pen, born on June 20, 1928, in La Trinité-sur-Mer, a small port in Brittany. He was the son of a fisherman and was orphaned in his adolescence. Before his death, he had become a wealthy businessman, partly thanks to an inheritance received in 1977 from a supporter.

He married twice. First to Pierrette Lalanne, with whom he had three daughters and nine granddaughters, and then to Jeanne-Marie Paschos ("Jany"), of Greek origin.

Le Pen was known for his firm stance against non-European immigration in France. His greatest electoral achievement took place in 2002 when he reached the second round of the presidential elections, facing Jacques Chirac.

In 1957, Le Pen assumed the position of Secretary General of the National Front of Combatants (FNC). The following year, he was re-elected as a deputy in the French National Assembly for the National Center of Independents and Peasants (CNIP) party, led by Antoine Pinay. In 1965, he held the position of campaign director for Jean-Louis Tixier-Vignancour's presidential campaign.

In 1972, he founded the far-right National Front (FN) party. Starting in 1983, the FN's electoral results began to improve considerably.

Le Pen obtained a seat in the European Parliament in 1984 and 1999, although he was stripped of his position by the European Court of Justice on April 10, 2003. Additionally, he was elected to the regional parliament of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur in 1992 and 1998. His political career was more successful in the south of France.

The right-wing leader passed away on January 7, at the age of 96. His funeral took place four days after his death, attended by 200 people, including his daughter Marine Le Pen.