A gay couple living in Leirou, France, said they have been the target of a series of homophobic attacks, including death threats, anonymous letters, anti-gay graffiti and vandalism at their home.
The two teachers, referred to in news reports by their pseudonyms Alain and Hugo, live in an area historically dominated by France’s far-right populist party, the National Rally. opposed LGBTQ rights.
the couple told French independent media. Busta! The harassment began in October 2024, when graffiti was scrawled on the front door of Leroux’s home that read “No fucking in Vendée,” referring to the area where she is located.
Two weeks later, the couple received a letter in their mailbox saying: “There are no homosexuals in the Vendée or in our school, otherwise…” Alan and Hugo, who have lived in the area since 2018, said the message was particularly disturbing because the anonymous poster appeared to know details of their private lives, including their jobs, daily routines and the layout of their home.
A few weeks later, on November 14, 2024, the couple discovered their home and garden had been broken into. Nothing was stolen, but the intruders used spray paint from Hugo’s art studio to paste a message on the exterior wall that read, “Get the fuck out of here.” They also smashed glass tables, threw paintings and 3D printers to the ground, tore up garden furniture, tore up pallets of stove pellets, and left water taps running. The intrusion left the couple shaken and convinced the vandalism was intentional.
More than a month later, the pattern of harassment intensified when someone scrawled “fuck you” and “fuck you, get out of here” inside his car. Since then, the couple has installed cameras and changed their routine. When the person arrives at the home, they first check for signs of a break-in, and if everything is fine, they send a text message saying they have nothing to report.
“We lived like we were in the country,” Hugo said. Busta! “We left the gate open and the car parked outside.”
“Now we lock everything up and triple check everything before we leave,” Alan added. “I often look in my rearview mirror to see if someone is tailing me…I’m always on guard.”
The harassment continued. On October 1, 2025, Hugo and Alain received a threatening letter with two coffins drawn on it and burnt at the edges.
“What I’m worried about is that someday they’re going to set the house on fire,” Alan said.
On November 19, 2025, another homophobic letter was sent to Lycée Atlantique in Luzon, where Hugo teaches.
“It’s a step up because you’re going from a personal realm to a professional realm,” Hugo said. france 3.
“When the principal received the letter, he immediately complained to the academic authorities about what was happening,” he continued. “The academic director immediately reacted and called the relevant national authorities, including the prefecture, the public prosecutor and the head of the local gendarmerie.” An investigation was launched by the research brigade of the Fontenay-le-Comte gendarmerie.
The incident continued in January and February 2026, when anti-gay graffiti with Hugo’s name alongside the words “slut” and “pedophile” was discovered in the school’s toilets.
Since the first incident in October 2024, the couple has filed seven complaints. Police closed the initial investigation after failing to identify a suspect, and the harassment was put on hiatus from December 2024 to October 2025. A second investigation into the 2025 incident has since been launched, but no arrests have been made.
“Fortunately, there are two of us, and that allows us to support each other, because we don’t know what will happen to either of us.” Please try to get through this situation on your own,” Hugo told France 3.
Source: Metro Weekly – www.metroweekly.com
