At a time when the case of the American town of Springfield, Ohio—where the aggressive presence of migrants is said to have led to violence against animals—is fuelling the debate in the U.S. presidential election, a remarkably similar incident has been reported in France in the Pas-de-Calais region. Three hunters and a child, with their ducks, were attacked by around sixty migrants.
The incident occurred on the night of September 14-15. Three hunters and a 3-year-old child were stalking in a hut on the Côte d’Opale on the Channel coast when, at around 4 a.m., they were attacked by a gang of around sixty extremely violent migrants.
The migrants, prevented by the police from making the crossing to England, attacked the hunters with machetes and iron bars for raising the alarm. They smashed the windscreens of the hunters’ vehicles and stole their belongings. The hunters were carrying live duck decoys—used to attract wild ducks—which were savagely decapitated by the migrants.
Holed up in their hut, the hunters managed to resist the assault before being freed at dawn by gendarmes who had come as reinforcements. Fortunately, the little boy who accompanied the hunters does not seem to have realised what was happening.
Adrien, one of the hunters, spoke to Europe 1 on Friday, September 13th. He explained that he had alerted the police to the presence of these migrants to avoid further deaths at sea, which occur almost daily on this stretch of coast. This is what triggered the anger of the gang, who wanted to cross at all costs. He recounts how the assailants attacked the pet ducks of his brother: “They took the ducks out of the cages and tore their heads off in cold blood, it was a horrible sight.” Adrien has been receiving psychological counselling and medical treatment since the attack.
Willy Schraen, president of the French hunters’ federation, said he was very concerned about the increase in this type of attack. He said that around ten similar situations had occurred during the summer between Calais and Le Touquet. Schraen was pleased that the situation had not degenerated on the part of the hunters. “I’m proud of my hunters. They have to deal with very violent migrants who blow up their cars, ransack their huts and decapitate their ducks. They are under enormous pressure and fortunately don’t overreact, even though they have a gun in their hand,” he explained, after meeting the Prefect of Pas-de-Calais.
“When we see women, children and babies being sent to death in these boats, it’s our role to warn the police. When we prevent them from setting sail, the migrants inevitably turn on us,” he said indignantly. He called for firm measures to control migratory flows, before a tragedy occurs involving hunters or other people.