All cases
Vandals leave trail of destruction in church
April 30, 2025, ItalyVandals broke into the historic church of Pia Opera Pastore in Alcamo, Sicily, causing extensive damage to sacred art, objects and furnishings. Paintings were defaced, religious objects destroyed and the church left in disarray - an attack condemned by local officials as a serious offence against the community and its cultural and religious heritage.
Church in Alsace severely vandalised: €10,000 in damage
April 24, 2025, FranceOn the night of 24 April, the collegiate church of Saint-Martin in Colmar was vandalised by an intruder who climbed through scaffolding, damaged sacred objects and left the church in disarray. Despite spending almost three hours inside and causing over €10,000 in damage, the perpetrator - who was caught on CCTV and reportedly under the influence of drugs - stole nothing. The incident shocked the local community and raised serious concerns about the protection of religious and cultural heritage.
Church closes after attacks on parish staff
April 23, 2025, AustriaThe parish of Breitenfeld has had to severely restrict access to its church following repeated violent attacks against parish workers and acts of vandalism. An unknown man attacked a parish secretary, pushing her to the ground and kicking her several times. A few days later, a 74-year-old sexton was similarly attacked, suffering injuries so severe that he had to be hospitalised for several days. Vandalism to the church building was also confirmed. As a result, the church is now only open for mass, and there is a police presence.
Church and graveyard defaced with blasphemous graffiti
April 18, 2025, United KingdomOn Good Friday, 18 April, St James' Church in Leyland, Lancashire, was vandalised with lewd images and anti-Christian messages. The graffiti included sexually graphic content, explicit blasphemy, and defaced both the church building and at least 40 gravestones in the churchyard with offensive statements such as "God is a lie".
Third attack on chapel in recent months
April 13, 2025, ItalyA votive shrine in Lonato del Garda has suffered its third act of vandalism in 3 months. In the latest incident, a wooden crucifix was torn from the wall and thrown away. Previously, a statue of the Madonna had been destroyed and a crucifix depicting Christ had been stolen.
Bible set alight on wooden altar
April 10, 2025, GermanyA Bible was set alight with a match in the Protestant church in Groß-Gerau. It was on the wooden altar, but did not burn down completely.
Protestant schools in France excluded from Erasmus+
April 10, 2025, FranceIn a written question to the European Commission, Dutch MEP Bert-Jan Ruissen raised concerns over France’s exclusion of private schools—including Protestant and Montessori institutions—from the EU’s Erasmus+ student mobility programme. He questioned how this policy aligns with the programme’s stated commitment to inclusivity for both public and private educational institutions. In its response on 10 April, the European Commission reaffirmed that Erasmus+ is designed to be inclusive. However, it ultimately placed responsibility on national authorities, stating that France is within its rights to define eligibility criteria for participation.
Vandals damage several churches in Odenwald region
April 8, 2025, GermanyIn the Odenwald region, several churches were attacked by vandals. At a church in Schweinberg, the stucco decoration on the high altar was broken off and thrown to the ground. Vandals also left cigarette butts and damaged collection boxes.
Religious statue damaged
April 8, 2025, GermanyIn Salzgitter-Bad, unknown vandals caused damage to a local church. A statue of Mary, part of a group of holy figures, was removed and the wall damaged.
500-year-old altar damaged
April 7, 2025, GermanyOn 7 April, a vandal broke into the historic Abbey Church in Öhringen and seriously damaged the church's 500-year-old wooden high altar. The unknown offender broke off and destroyed the sword from a figure of the Apostle Paul and stole a valuable altar cloth.
Fire in church: Police suspect arson
April 6, 2025, GermanyUnknown persons have apparently attempted to set fire to the grounds of a church on Harffer Strasse in Neuss-Erfttal. According to initial findings, a wooden flowerpot was set alight inside the church building.
Christian woman convicted for holding sign "here to talk if you want"
April 4, 2025, United KingdomA 63-year-old Christian woman, Livia Tossici-Bolt, has been convicted for breaching a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) by holding a sign that read "here to talk, if you want" near an abortion clinic in Bournemouth. This case raises significant concerns about the impact of such orders on religious freedom and the right to free expression.
Thousands in Damages Every Month
April 4, 2025, GermanyChurches in Cologne's city centre, including the iconic Cologne Cathedral, are regularly targeted by vandals, causing thousands of euros in damage each month. Dr Dominik Meiering, the leading priest for Cologne's inner city, expressed concern about the repeated desecration, theft and graffiti, describing it as a serious burden on the Church and a threat to its public mission.
Vandals destroy shrine and cut off arms of Jesus statue
April 3, 2025, PolandUnknown 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.
Church crosses destroyed in Paternò
April 2, 2025, ItalyOn 2 April 2025, vandals destroyed two large crosses outside the Chiesa Madre in Paternò, Sicily. The attack follows other recent incidents in the same town, including an attempted theft of a sacred painting and verbal abuse during a Christian procession, raising serious concerns about growing hostility towards the local Christian community.
Repeated urine, faeces and riots in Mainz churches
April 1, 2025, GermanyIn recent weeks, several churches in Mainz have suffered serious acts of vandalism, including the desecration of holy water with urine and the destruction of confessional doors. These incidents have deeply distressed local clergy and parishioners, and have led to discussions about possible church closures to prevent further offences.
Church walls defaced with Swastika
April 1, 2025, GermanyBetween 30 March and 1 April, unknown persons sprayed graffiti on the walls of St Martin's Church in Hermeskeil. The graffiti included a swastika on the outside of the church.
Man smashes church windows and attacks priest
March 31, 2025, GreeceIn Volos, Greece, a man vandalised a local church by smashing its windows before attacking a hieromonk, striking him multiple times. The incident has deeply unsettled the local clergy and parishioners.
Desecration of crosses at the sanctuary
March 30, 2025, SpainOn the night of 29-30 March, vandals destroyed two crosses near the Sanctuary of St Michael in Aralar, in the Spanish Archdiocese of Pamplona and Tudela. This is the second attack on the site in recent months.
Vandalism in church
March 26, 2025, GermanyUnknown individuals entered the church on Wieslocher Straße and caused significant damage. Among other things, a plate of holy water was smashed, a microphone and its stand were knocked over, and the glass panel on the confessional door was broken. The intruders also removed a pipe from the organ and placed it on the altar. The unknown individuals then fled the church undetected.