President of France Sent Severed Finger from 'Living Human' in the Mail
French President Emmanuel Macron received a severed fingertip by mail, according to reports from local media.
The chopped-off body part arrived at the French presidential palace, the Élysée, on Monday, French outlet Valeurs Actuelles reported.
Reports of the mailed body part were confirmed by the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office on Thursday, according to the Belgian newspaper The Brussels Times.
The finger was first stored in a refrigerator used by police to keep snacks before being recovered by police for further investigation, a security source told Valuers Actuelles.
Police have identified the person to whom the severed fingertip belongs, a source told the outlet.
Tests conducted after the discovery of the organ showed that the part belonged to a “living human being,” according to reporting from British newspaper The Evening Standard.
The individual to whom the finger belonged was then contacted and “given full medical support,” a source said.
Police are investigating the individual for threats to commit a crime against an elected official, the Times reported.
The mailed body part did not have an accompanying note that could hint at the individual’s motives when sending the fingertip, according to the Standard. This surprised investigators.
The individual reportedly suffers from psychiatric disorders, a source told Valeurs Actuelles.
In the past, French presidents have received bizarre, threatening items in the mail, such as bullets, the Standard reported.
However, Monday was the first time where a severed body part was mailed to the Élysée.
Approximately 1,000 to 1,500 letters and emails are sent daily to Macron, according to the Times.
A staff of 70 workers peruse and scan the letters and emails sent to the president in offices situated outside the presidential residence.
The correspondence is often read by Macron himself, who occassionally replies. He views this as a way to get a sample of the public views on the administration.
The Monday mail comes as France has witnessed massive protests over the police shooting of Nahel Merzouk, a 17-year-old French teen of North African descent in Nanterre near Paris.
The protests saw rioting, cars and shops burned and looted, and clashes with police.
More demonstrations are expected to continue as France commemorates Bastille Day on Friday, the Standard reported.
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