All cases

Paris Court Acquits Femen

February 16, 2016, France

A Paris court acquitted members of the radical feminist group Femen who had in November 2012 disrupted Catholic families peacefully protesting in defense of traditional marriage, topless with vulgar anti-church slogans written on their bodies and spraying fire extinguishers at the group.

Iranian Christians Kicked Out of Refugee Home After Being Attacked

February 14, 2016, Germany

Six Iranian Christian refugees were told by a security employee of the Tempelhof accommodation that they had an hour to leave because they were trouble-makers. Just days earlier, these six men had been threatened with beatings by 70 radical Muslim refugees for reading the Bible.

Chapel Vandalized in Trévé

February 13, 2016, France

The chapel of Saint-Pierre, originally dating from the 5th century and which is being restored, was vandalized. Portions of the posts of the portico holding the roof were sawn with chainsaws. Motives are unclear, as there was no wood taken. The mayor is outraged and the police are investigating.

UPDATE: Afghan Asylum Seeker Indicted for Attempted Homicide

February 10, 2016, Germany

The Hamburg prosecutor has indicted a 23-year-old Afghan asylum seeker Mohebolla A. He is said to have attacked and seriously injured a 24-year-old Amir H., an Iranian Christian, with a telescopic baton on 18 October in a shelter.

Longueville Cemetery Crucifixes Vandalized

February 10, 2016, France

On the evening of Wednesday, February 10, a municipal officer discovered 16 vandalized crucifixes in a cemetery.

Separate Housing for Christian Refugees in Stuttgart Approved

February 10, 2016, Germany

Due to frequent reports of abuse, harassment, and assaults against Christian refugees at the hands of their Muslim co-habitatants, the City of Stuttgart has approved new, separate, accommodations.

Church Vandalized near Graz

February 8, 2016, Austria

Over the weekend of February 6-7, an unknown vandal left graffiti on the parish church in Kalsdorf bei Graz, in Styria. The graffiti included vague symbols and letter combinations, as well as a swastika smeared on the pillar of the church canopy.

Parish Church of Kervignac Vandalized

February 6, 2016, France

On February 6, 2016, the parish church of Kervignac (Diocese of Vannes) was the victim of vandalism: papers scattered on the floor, an umbrella left in pieces, candles broken, all the confessionals left wide open, flowers thrown to the ground, and the altar cloth left in rags.

Christian Refugee Attacked in Berlin Camp

February 3, 2016, Germany

A member of the Trinity Lutheran Church in Berlin-Stegliz was attacked because of his Christian faith in the refugee camp where he lives.

Church and Mosque Destroyed in Calais "Jungle"

February 1, 2016, France

Despite promises to the contrary, officials from the Calais Prefecture bulldozed a church and a mosque in the refugee camp.

Mass at Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes Repeatedly Disrupted

February 1, 2016, France

According to the parish priest, beginning on January 5th, eggs have been thrown at the windows of the Nancy chapel every evening during the 7pm Mass.

Chapel Vandalized in Lyon

February 1, 2016, France

On February 1st, an unknown perpetrator broke into the chapel of la Famille Missionnaire de Notre-Dame à Lyon around 5:00pm and vandalized the statue of the Virgin Mary, which was found on the ground with a demolished head.

Historic Bruyères-le-Châtel Church Vandalized; Consecrated Hosts Stolen

January 31, 2016, France

Unknown perpetrators broke a window, overturned the tabernacle, stole the ciborium containing consecrated Hosts, and sacked the sacristy. The bishop of Evry called it a "rampage." According to a parishioner, this was not the first time the church had been a victim, as graffiti had been found last year. However, this attack was much more serious. "Consecrated Hosts were stolen. For someone who doesn't believe, this probably does not matter much. For [Catholics] it is the most serious. It is the body of Christ. It is Jesus who was attacked." For the bishop of Evry, "this is a real attack against the Catholic Church. It is the symbol of the sacred that has been affected. There is a will to do harm." (Translated from French).

1,700 Year Old Orthodox Church Damaged

January 28, 2016, Turkey

St. Mary Church, a Syriac Orthodox church, was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade, destroying a portion of the wall in the southeastern Turkish city of Diyarbakir.

Police Spokesman Reported Muslims Trying to Expel Christians From Grande-Synthe Camp

January 27, 2016, France

Forty shots were fired in what was termed a quarrel between rival smuggler gangs at the Grande-Synthe refugee camp near Dunkirk. David Michaux, a CRS anti-riot officer from the Unsa-police union, told Le Figaro: "There is a real problem between Muslims and non-Muslims. Most of the camp's 3,000-odd occupants are Muslim Kurds from Iraq, Iran and Syria but a minority are Christians from Iran." He went on to say "The Muslims are trying to expel the Christians from the camp."

Seville Church the Victim of Burglary

January 24, 2016, Spain

Thieves have stolen three silver ciboria, chalices and the contents of collection boxes from the Corpus Christi church.

Bouches-du-Rhône Church Hit with Vandalism

January 23, 2016, France

On the 23rd January, Deputy Mayor Marcel Galli discovered that the Sainte Marie Madeleine de Plan-de-Cuques church (of the Marseille diocese) had been smeared with tar on three facades, with many circles painted on the walls, and large lines were drawn on the ground. The large wooden doors of the entrance to the church and the sacristy, the surface of the front porch, and entrance hall were also damaged by tar.

Bullied Christian Refugees Demand Separate Accommodations

January 20, 2016, Germany

Assyrian refugees hope to be housed apart from Muslims in the future camp near Stuttgart due to conflicts and threats.

German Pastor Warns of Dire Situation for Christians in Refugee Camps

January 18, 2016, Germany

“The situation in refugee camps, especially in Berlin is very dramatic”, said Pastor Gottfried Martens of the Trinity Lutheran Church in Berlin. Around 1.000 refugees from Iran, Afghanistan and the Arabic world visit his community.

French Pastor Reported Murder of Christian Refugee at Camp Near Dunkirk

January 18, 2016, France

In a series of emails to a French blog, Pastor Daniel O. described the beatings, stabbings, disappearance, and presumed murder of an Iranian Christian at the Grande-Synthe refugee camp.