Fire set to church in Mazara

Case information
Incident date
Country
Italy
Place
Mazara del Vallo
Categories
  • Social Hostility / Intolerance
Attack Against
  • Faith
Perpetrator / Motive Indicators
  • Private
Hate Crime & Violent Incidents
  • Arson
  • Vandalism (all)
  • Vandalism of Church
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
  • Yes
Response of Local Authorities
  • Investigated
Image credit: Tp24

In the night between September 1 and 2, unknown persons set the fire to the side door of the "Church of the Miracle" which is located in Via Casa Santa, in Mazara. The attack is a worrying sign of the continuation of criminal acts in the town.

The Church of the Miracle is not only a church, but also houses important institutions such as the Diocesan Caritas and the San Vito Onlus Foundation, where citizens deposit old and used clothes for the Caritas to take care of it. This pile of old clothes facilitated the action of the vandals, allowing the fire to spread and seriously damage the wooden door of the church.

Sources