Statue of Infant Jesus Beheaded in St. Johann Church in Saarbrücken

Case information
Incident date
Country
Germany
Categories
  • Social Hostility / Intolerance
Attack Against
  • Faith
Perpetrator / Motive Indicators
  • Private
Hate Crime & Violent Incidents
  • Desecration
  • Vandalism (all)
  • Vandalism of Church
  • Intolerance towards Religious Symbols
Religious Freedom / Discrimination
  • Censorship or Removal of Public Christian Symbols
Place of Incident
  • Church
Bias Indicators
  • Lack of Other Motive
  • Significance of Property/Structure/Location to religious community
Reported to Police
  • Yes
Response of Local Authorities
  • Investigated
Image credit: tagesschau.de

On November 27, unknown perpetrators vandalized the Basilica of St. John the Baptist in Saarbrücken. A statue of Infant Jesus has been beheaded and the statute of Mary, holding the infant, was also damaged. Later on, a 44-year-old woman was identified as the perpetrator.

Furthermore, the altar room has been vandalised and a cigarette extinguished on the main altar. In order to reach the statutes of Mary and Jesus, the perpetrator must have climbed on one of the altars.

The police is investigating the case.

Update, January 24: The perpetrator, a 44-year-old woman, has been diagnosed with a mental illness and has been referred to a psychiatric hospital. There seems to have been no religious motive.

Sources