Altar vandalised inside Saint Roch Church in Paris

Case information
Incident date
Country
France
Place
Paris
Categories
  • Social Hostility / Intolerance
Attack Against
  • Faith
Perpetrator / Motive Indicators
  • Private
Hate Crime & Violent Incidents
  • Vandalism (all)
  • Vandalism of Church
  • Intolerance towards Religious Symbols
Place of Incident
  • Church
Bias Indicators
  • Lack of Other Motive
  • Pattern or Frequency of Attacks
  • Significance of Property/Structure/Location to religious community
Reported to Police
  • Unknown
Response of Local Authorities
  • Unknown
Image credit: X

An altar inside Saint-Roch Church featuring a large gilded structure resembling the Ark of the Covenant was vandalised by unknown individuals. The attackers damaged decorative elements causing significant damage to the 19th-century religious piece.

Unknown individuals vandalised an altar inside Saint-Roch Church, located in the axial chapel at the rear of the church. The targeted object is a 19th-century altar, featuring a gilded structure modeled after the Ark of the Covenant.

The perpetrators first damaged the altar’s door before attacking the altar itself. Several decorative elements were broken, including ornaments above the cornice, resulting in significant damage to the historic structure.

This was not the only incident at the church. In addition to the damage to the liturgical furniture, the church was also the target of an attempted theft. A collapse of part of the cornice also occurred outside the parish area; however, the cause of the damage remains unknown and is currently under investigation.

Sources