On the afternoon of Saturday, June 18, 2025, unidentified individuals broke into the Romanesque-Gothic St. Alexander Church in Lingen-Schepsdorf, leaving a trail of destruction. Several religious statues were vandalised—one completely destroyed, others defaced with melted wax—deeply shocking the local community, especially as this is not an isolated incident.
During the attack, the perpetrators targeted multiple sacred figures, dousing them in wax and causing severe damage. This is part of a troubling pattern: in June alone, police recorded three attacks on churches and chapels in the region. The incidents have raised growing concern among local residents and officials about the safety of places of worship. The parish priest spoke of troubling violence.