ATTACKS on innocent people in Europe at the hands of extremists have sadly become all too regular an event. Now we have the awful incident in the peaceful Normandy village of Saint-Etienne-du-Vouvray when a much revered priest , Father Jacques Hamel, was murdered in church when taking mass for his parishioners (“France ‘at war’ with Islamic State after slaying of priest”, The Herald, July 27).

In the case of Father Hamel the public in France, already in a sensitive state following other atrocities, are surely entitled to ask questions of their security, police, and criminal justice authorities. The individual principally involved in this outrage appears to have been determined to join Islamic State and had been arrested twice for trying to get to Syria to join ITS forces. He was jailed, but allowed out early, despite objections from the local prosecutor.

The relatives, friends, and parishioners of Father Hamel, the residents of the small village where he worked, and indeed the beleaguered French people must wonder: why was he not still in jail? Oh for a latter-day Emile Zola to pen another J’Accuse.

Ian W Thomson,

38 Kirkintilloch Road, Lenzie.