Various Nativity Scenes Were Vandalised and Desecrated In Lombardy

Case information
Incident date
Country
Italy
Place
Lombardy
Categories
  • Social Hostility / Intolerance
Attack Against
  • Faith
Perpetrator / Motive Indicators
  • Private
Hate Crime & Violent Incidents
  • Desecration
  • Theft
  • Vandalism (all)
  • Vandalism of Church
  • Vandalism of Public Christian Symbol
Religious Freedom / Discrimination
  • Censorship or Removal of Public Christian Symbols
Place of Incident
  • Church
  • Public Christian Symbol (outside place of worship)
Bias Indicators
  • Comments/Written Statements/Gestures/Graffiti
  • Pattern or Frequency of Attacks
  • Significance of Property/Structure/Location to religious community
  • Time/Place/Location
Reported to Police
  • Yes
Response of Local Authorities
  • Unknown

In the days before and after New Year's Eve, there were several acts of vandalism of nativity scene throughout Lombardy. This included the cities of Lodi, Brescia, Milano, Como, Concorezzo and Fabriano. Most of the vandalism targeted the statues of the infant Jesus, but often the acts were towards the entire crib. In one case the Jesus statue was decapitated, thrown on the trash or destroyed, and the pictures were shared on social media. In other cases excrements were left on the scene and the figures were vandalised or stolen. The teenagers who posted the acts on social media were identified.

Lodi: figure of the Infant Child stolen and decapitated - Prima Lodi

Are of Brescia: Figure of the Infant Child thrown in trash can

Area of Brescia: Two teenagers tore figure of the Infant Child into pieces and posted the act on Instagram - Prima Brescia

Milano: Statue of the Infant Child destroyed - Surce: Prima Milano Ovest

Como - cemetery of Mozzate: Excrements placed on Nativity Scene -

Concorezzo: Wodden figures vandalized -

Fabriano: Infant Child stolen -

Sources