Church Vandalised and Almost Set on Fire in Bollengo

Case information
Incident date
Country
Italy
Place
Bollengo
Categories
  • Social Hostility / Intolerance
Attack Against
  • Faith
Perpetrator / Motive Indicators
  • Private
Hate Crime & Violent Incidents
  • Arson
  • Desecration
  • Vandalism (all)
  • Vandalism of Church
Place of Incident
  • Church
Bias Indicators
  • Pattern or Frequency of Attacks
  • Significance of Property/Structure/Location to religious community
Reported to Police
  • Yes
Response of Local Authorities
  • Unknown
Symbolic image; not a photograph of the reported incident.Image credit: Pineapple Supply Co. on Unsplash

Unknown perpetrators tried to set fire to the Romanesque church of Santissimi Pietro e Paolo in Bollengo. Mayor Luigi Ricca noted that the police "found traces of flammable liquid in the churchyard. The same group then broke one of the road signs indicating the route of the Via Francigena in the area". Since the modus operandi is similar to the case of church vandalism at the San Silvestro church in Chiaverano from June 2021, the police are suspecting the same group to be responsible. However, Mayor Ricca does not think that it is the same group. Investigations are ongoing.

Sources