Red paint was discovered sprayed on a statue of Christ on the Cross in front of the Kirche St. Joseph in Velbert on August 5, 2020.
Churches in Velbert have spoken out against increasing litter and dog waste being left on their properties. “The sad climax of the events is the smearing of the big cross on the Kirche St. Joseph,” stated the board of directors of the parish. Unknown vandals smeared the legs of the figure of the crucified Jesus with paint, damaging a work of art from 1911.
"All churches and the outside areas serve all Velbert residents, whether Catholic or not, as a place of retreat or oasis of calm in the often stressful world of work and should also be preserved as such in the future," the council said.