In a Small French village, a mystery that lingered for nearly a quarter of a century has finally been unraveled. A golden rooster, stolen in April 1999 from atop an outdoor cross in Béziers, a village nestled between Béziers and Agde in Southwest France, has been unexpectedly returned. The village, home to 5,500 residents, was left pondering over the fate of this decorative emblem for years.
Historian Michel Sabatieri with the Golden Rooster
The Unexpected Expulsion and the Historian’s Role
Michel Sabatier, a historian who had fueled public curiosity by writing about the missing rooster in newspapers and on social media, received the metallic bird by mail. Upon receiving it in November, Sabatier alerted the mayor’s office, which in turn informed the public prosecutor in Béziers, Raphaël Balland.
How the Thief Was Caught
The thief, now in his late forties, was swiftly identified by the police, primarily because he had used his credit card to pay for the postage. When confronted by the police, he confessed to stealing the rooster during a night of revelry and alcohol. Overwhelmed with shame upon sobering up, he hid the rooster in his basement, too embarrassed to return it.
A rueful thief has returned a golden ornamental cockerel stolen in a French village, a prosecutor said, lifting the veil on its mysterious disappearance nearly 25 years ago. https://t.co/u4lL8VnBJH
— CBS Sunday Morning 🌞 (@CBSSunday) January 3, 2024
The Rooster’s Homecoming and Village’s Celebration
After finding the rooster in his basement nearly 25 years later, the man decided it was time to return it. The village’s mayor, Stéphane Pépin-Bonet of Béziers, announced plans for a celebration to reinstall the rooster atop the iron cross, this time securely attached to prevent another disappearance. The mayor expressed a willingness to forgive what he termed “possibly a youthful indiscretion,” reminding the community of the rooster’s significance as part of their heritage.
The public prosecutor declined to reveal the thief’s identity, noting that he is beyond the reach of legal action due to France’s statute of limitations for simple theft, which is six years.
