Vandals destroy shrine and cut off arms of Jesus statue

Case information
Incident date
Country
Poland
Place
Podlesie
Categories
  • Social Hostility / Intolerance
Attack Against
  • Faith
Perpetrator / Motive Indicators
  • Private
Hate Crime & Violent Incidents
  • Vandalism (all)
  • Vandalism of Public Christian Symbol
Place of Incident
  • Public Christian Symbol (outside place of worship)
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: twojRadom

Unknown perpetrators desecrated a religious site on the roadside between the villages of Podlesie and Sławno, destroying a statue of the Mary, tearing the body of a Jesus figure from the cross and breaking off its arms and damaging a painting of the Passion. The incident caused outrage among the locals.

The attack also included the destruction of the pedestal table and a depiction of Mary in a relief. Photos show severe damage to the small shrine, a common expression of Catholic faith in rural Poland.

It follows another recent incident in the region - the theft of a statue of Our Lady of Fatima from a chapel in Maków. Locals condemned the act as a clear attack on religious symbols and a violation of sacred space.

In January 2023, OIDAC Europe recorded a similar case in this area.

Source: twojRadom