Statues of Jesus and Mary were desecrated with black paint and graffiti in a repeat act of vandalism at Vienna’s prayer garden, prompting condemnation from local officials.
During the night of September 20, unknown individuals vandalized the prayer garden in Vienna's Floridsdorf district, defacing the heads of the statue of Mary and the figure of Jesus on the cross with black paint and graffiti.
This follows a previous attack in 2023, when the head of a Jesus statue was chopped off and other religious items were destroyed. Despite the installation of surveillance cameras and reconstruction efforts funded by donations, the site was targeted again.
One of the local district councillors, Alexander Jansa, described the incident as a “horrific desecration,” adding, “Such acts must not be tolerated in our district.”