All cases

Church Cellar Deliberately Flooded by Vandals

December 2, 2018, Germany

During an advent concert in the parish church of Claußnitz on Sunday, December 2, unknown people turned on a faucet in the boiler room and flooded the cellar with it. "The boiler was totally under water," said Pastor Christian Schmidt. When the damage was discovered, the fire brigade and police were alerted. Two firefighters pumped the approximately 60 centimeters high water out of the basement. The police estimated the damage to be several thousand euros.

Protests Against Polish Radio Maryja on its Anniversary

December 1, 2018, Poland

As Radio Maryja listeners gathered in Toruń to celebrate the radio station's 27th anniversary, a protest against public funding of the station took place a few kilometers away. Organized by a Polish secularist association, a small group protested at the monument of Nicolaus Copernicus.

Statue of Saint Anne Decapitated in Ille-et-Vilaine

December 1, 2018, France

A statuette of St. Anne with the Virgin Mary in a niche above a first floor window of a private home was removed and beheaded by an unknown vandal during the night of December 1st. The head was placed in front of the doorway of the home.

IS Supporting Refugee Physically Attacks and Threatens Christian Refugee with Death

November 30, 2018, Germany

The perpetrator, a radicalized IS supporter, was found guilty of physical attacks and death threats against a Christian refugee, which allegedly happened in the asylum center where both were staying. The charges were stated on the 30th of November 2018.

Anti-Discrimination Law Expanded in Switzerland

November 28, 2018, Switzerland

The Swiss Ständerat (Council of States) passed a law on November 28th adding discrimination based on sexual orientation to the existing criminal law prohibiting discrimination based on race, ethnicity, or religion. A broader version of the legislation, which included "gender identity" was passed by the Nationalrat (National Council) in October. Critics of the law noted that it could restrict freedom of expression and conscience, particularly for those who hold a traditional view of sexuality and marriage. Those who violate the law could face a prison sentence of up to three years.

Vulgar Graffiti Sprayed On The Facade Of Church

November 28, 2018, Spain

The parish of San Isidro de la Estación in Cártama, as well as the entrances to the parish hall and the office of Caritas, were spray painted with obscene images and phrases during the night of November 28th. The graffiti outraged the whole town and local police began an official investigation.

Pro-Life Student Group Banned at University in Scotland

November 27, 2018, United Kingdom

The Aberdeen University Students' Association (Ausa) prevented the affiliation of the Aberdeen Life Ethics Society, a pro-life student group. This means that the group would not be recognized as an official club of the University and thus would not be eligible to receive any funding for their events. The Ausa has an explicit pro-choice policy supporting "free, safe and legal access to abortion." The Life Ethics Society challenged the ban and accused the Ausa of censorship.

Fabrics on the Balustrades of a Church Set on Fire

November 27, 2018, Italy

In the parish church of Brusimpiano, a small Italian village, on the Swiss border, was attacked. So far unknown arsonists, set a plasticized fabric hanging on the church wall on fire. Once it was lit, the fire burned the whole fabric and caused serious damage to the wall behind of it, leaving it blackened.

Repeated Theft from Offertory Box in Hinterzarten

November 26, 2018, Germany

In the 'Maria in der Zarten' Catholic Church in Hinterzarten, the offertory box that is locked with a padlock was broken into again on November 26th. The unidentified perpetrators stole an unknown sum of money from it.

22 Statues on the Avenue of Saints Destroyed

November 25, 2018, Poland

Just three weeks after the the new "Avenue of Saints" in front of the Matki Bożej Śnieżnej Church in Zarzecze was unveiled, 22 of the 23 statues were broken by vandals on November 25th. Only the figure of St. Paul was unharmed. The figures in the Avenue of Saints were dedicated on November 11th on the 100th anniversary of regaining independence by Poland "as an expression of gratitude and an invitation to the saints to our future and our nation," said parish priest Jan Rokosz. 

"The Mafia never loses" - Ancient Church Vandalized with Graffiti

November 25, 2018, Italy

"The Mafia never loses" (“La mafia non perde mai”) and other graffiti were discovered by the volunteers of the "San Cataldo Baia della Legalità" association in an ancient church by the bay in Terrasini.

Historic Cornwall Church the Target of Arson

November 24, 2018, United Kingdom

Firefighters were called to St Mary’s Church in Penzance at around 4am in the early hours of November 24th by the key holder and his wife after the alarm sounded. A bin had been placed in front of the church door and set on fire. Witnesses reported that the fire nearly spread into the interior of the church. Police were given the CCTV footage and began an investigation. Damages are estimated at up to £10,000. 

After Repeated Vandalism: Church Forced To Close Its Doors

November 24, 2018, Germany

The Stadtkirche St. Georg in Neustadt was the target of vandalism during the night of the 24th of November. The Christmas tree and the loudspeaker system and cable covers on the wall were heavily damaged from having been kicked. In addition, the church was soiled with spilled red wine and cigarette butts. A week before, intruders caused damage in the church, as well. Although an an automatic locking system was installed, due to the vandalism, the church council decided to keep the church locked during the day.

Pro-Lifers Banned as University Group

November 22, 2018, United Kingdom

The group "Glasgow Students for Life" were banned from becoming an official group by the Student' Representative Council (SRC) at Glasgow University. As a result, the student group would not have access to funding, meeting rooms, or a stall at the freshers fair. The president of the SRC said the decision had been made because the aims of the society did not align with the values of the council. "Given the SRC’s campaigning on a number of related social issues over the years, including support for the recent Repeal the 8th campaign in Ireland, it would be contrary to our ethos to endorse a society which calls for limited rights for women."

Arson in Funeral Chapel

November 21, 2018, Germany

Unknown persons set fire to two benches in the altar room of the funeral chapel in Treysa on November 21st. The benches in the interior of the church were set on fire with paper waste and presumably fire accelerators. The fire caused considerable soot damage, but the building remained intact. The damage was estimated at 500 euros.

Parents Threaten Action against School that Required Children to Participate in Gay Pride Parade

November 20, 2018, United Kingdom

In November, several parents of children who were required to participate in a "Proud to be me" pride parade at the Heavers Farm Primary School in South East London threatened legal action. Despite numerous complaints from parents, they were informed that no opt-outs would be allowed. Parents, including Izoduwa Adhedo, reported that they were treated dismissively and victimized following their complaints. "I wasn't even trying to stop the Pride event. I just wanted my child to receive an education, rather than indoctrination," Adhedo said.

War Memorial and Church Defaced in Scotland

November 17, 2018, United Kingdom

A church and war memorial were hit by vandals sometime on the 17th of November in Coatbridge. The graffiti included Republican slogans like "RIRA" (Real Irish Republican Army). The incident happened just a week after Armistice Day - the day the Allies and Germany signed the peace treaty ending the First World War.

Persistent Littering and Vandalism in front of Cosenza Church

November 17, 2018, Italy

For years, the piazza and steps in front of the church of Santa Teresa in Cosenza have been littered with bottles, glasses, vomit and urine by young people who congregate there in the evenings and on weekends. However, as parishioners stepped past all of the litter and excrement to attend Mass on the weekend of November 17th, they discovered the steps to the church were defaced with graffiti.

Miniature Model of Church Destroyed and Offertory Box Looted

November 15, 2018, Germany

A wooden model of the small parish church in Bräunlingen was returned to its place next to the church altar after the damage caused by vandals had been repaired. A few days later, it was hit again by vandalism. The bottom plate of the model was forcibly torn open, the wood was shattered in the back, and part of the electronics were exposed. The offertory box on which the small church stands was looted, leaving only a few coins. Additionally the smaller of the two church towers, which was completely replaced in the past repair, was damaged again.

Prosecutors Believe Hague Stabbing in May Targeted Christians and Jews

November 14, 2018, Netherlands

New information from the prosecutor's office indicates that Malek F., a Syrian asylum seeker charged with 3 counts of attempted murder for stabbings in The Hague on May 5, 2018, was specifically searching for “Christian and Jewish kuffars," Arabic for non-believers. In a recorded conversation with his mother from prison, he said they were similar to “animals or retarded people” and that he was a "soldier of Allah."

Evangelical Church Vandalized

November 14, 2018, Germany

The Evangelical church of St. Simeonis in Minden was vandalized during the night on the 11th of November when unknown persons sprayed the southern church door and a wall with graffiti. In 2017, a precious 19th century window was destroyed.

Theft and Desecration of Madrid Church

November 13, 2018, Spain

On the 13th of November intruders broke into the church of Nuestra Señora de Madrid, desecrated the tabernacle, stole a ciborium, a small monstrance, and other objects from the parish office. The Cardinal Archbishop of Madrid, Carlos Osoro, expressed his pain, his prayers, and his condemnation for this desecration to the whole parish community and will soon hold an act of reparation in the church. The police began an investigation.

Thousands of Euros in Damage Caused by Rocks Thrown at Church Windows

November 13, 2018, Germany

On four afternoons in a row, between November 13th and November 17th, unknown perpetrators threw rocks at the stained glass windows of the church of St. Stephanus in Grevenbroich-Elsen. "In total there are 27 holes up to a diameter of ten centimeters and cracks [in the windows]," according to Gerd Reibel, Deputy Chairman of the Church Council. "We estimate the total amount of the damage to be between 3,000 and 4,000 euros," he said. The parish filed a police complaint.

Profanation and Robbery in a Parish Church in Madrid

November 13, 2018, Spain

On the 13th November at dawn, the parish of Our Lady of Madrid was vandalized and robbed by vandals. The perpetrators entered by forcing the door open and desecrated the tabernacle and stole the ciborium and a small monstrance, they also took objects from the parish office. The police is investigating.

British Government Denies Asia Bibi Asylum for Fear of Community Unrest

November 9, 2018, United Kingdom

Asia Bibi, who spent eight years on death row in Pakistan, was released from prison after the Supreme Court of Pakistan overturned her sentence for “insulting the Prophet Mohammed.” Her acquittal led to unrest and riots among Pakistan's Muslim hardliners, prompting the government to try to prevent her from leaving the country. Her husband, Ashiq Masih, pleaded to the UK government: “I am requesting the Prime Minister of the UK help us and as far as possible grant us freedom.” The British government reportedly rejected this request for fear of civil unrest.

Church Door Set on Fire

November 9, 2018, Spain

On the 9th of November the door of the parish church in Llamas de la Ribera was set on fire, causing severe damage. Police arrested the perpetrator.

Arson in Church; Heavy Damage to Renovated Organ

November 7, 2018, Germany

Police determined that a fire set to an organ in the St Franziskus Church in Gummersbach was intentional. The damage done to the organ was estimated to be in the six-figure range. Due to the rapid intervention of the fire department, greater damage was prevented. "Perhaps the whole church could have gone up in flames if the fire had not been discovered so quickly," noted Father Christoph Bersch.

Vandalism in the Church of Sainte Croix

November 7, 2018, France

A press release of the parish of Port de Bordeaux reported that there were “more then 40 chairs crumbled to pieces, tables and displays thrown over” in the 11th century church of Sainte Croix. Debout France – a local federation – published information about this incident on its Twitter expressing regret saying: “vandalism (…) is more and more frequent within our church.”

Historic Forest Church in Badia Tedalda Heavily Damaged by Vandalism

November 6, 2018, Italy

Several stained glass windows of the Lama Church were broken by rocks and the door was smashed by an axe. The damage was estimated at several thousand euros.

Vandalism at Wallyford Church

November 5, 2018, United Kingdom

East Lothian (Scotland) Police investigated a case of vandalism at the Wallyford Livingroom Church. Vandals smashed a window by throwing stones.

Vandalism to Parish Church

November 4, 2018, Germany

Sometime between November 4th and 7th, unknown perpetrators smashed in a window at the St. Walburgis Church in Menzelen-Ost. The damage was discovered by church staff on the evening of November 7th. The perpetrators threw an object into a glass window with lead glazing with an unknown object.

Parish Church Vandalized

November 2, 2018, Germany

Police reported that two teenagers are suspected of having caused at least €3,000 in damage to the Reichertshausen parish church St. Stephanus between August 31st and September 13th. Many statues were damaged: the wing of a dove (representing the holy spirit) was broken, the statue of John the Baptist was damaged, and the head of a statue on the altar was broken off. A foul smelling and foamy liquid was poured into the holy water. The sacristan who discovered all of this damage also found remainders of ashes and crumbs, spilled beverages, a burned prayer book, and the note “F… dich Gott” (“F… you God”) in a book for prayer requests. 

Offensive Graffiti and Vandalism in Church

November 2, 2018, Germany

Unknown perpetrators sprayed three walls and a prayer bench with offensive graffiti in the St. Benedikt-Kirche in Herbern. The local police spokesperson referred to the act as "antisocial behavior" and suspected "marauding teenagers" committed the vandalism sometime between 11 am and 5 pm on November 2nd.

Shocking Graffiti on Pietà

November 1, 2018, Germany

During the night before All Saints Day, the Pietà in front of the parish church St. Georg in Freising was defaced with black graffiti and vulgar sexual images. Just two weeks earlier, church painter Florian Böck had finished restoring the statue of the Mary, Mother of Sorrows (Mater Dolorosa), holding the corpse of Jesus Christ taken from the cross. Böck expressed his anger: “We really need to ask ourselves, who could do something like this?” and said it would be a long process to clean the statue and bring it to the previous status. The damage to the statue which dates back to 1640 was estimated by the police at around 3000 euros.

Over 100 Windows Smashed at Church in Ireland

October 31, 2018, Ireland

Sometime between the 29th and 31st of October, unknown perpetrators broke 104 windows at St Catherine’s Church in Tullamore. The police are investigating, and cannot exclude a targeted crime although the motive remains unclear. Parishioners expect up to €70,000 will be needed to renew the windows and enhance security.

Obscene Vandalism on Salerno Church

October 31, 2018, Italy

Vandals sprayed a phallic symbol in foam next to the Madonna on the bronze door of the church of Santa Maria a Mare a Mercatello. The priest, who called the act disrespectful and offensive, reported that this was not the first instance of vandalism, as the churchyard is a frequent target of vandals. Both the priest and the parishioners were upset and discussed closing the churchyard and installing security cameras in the area.

Three Windows of Village Church Destroyed

October 30, 2018, Germany

Unknown perpetrators smashed three stained glass windows with stones between the 28th and 30th of October. The Hamminkeln police began an investigation.

Christian Group Ordered to Pay for Extra Security at Oxford Event

October 29, 2018, United Kingdom

Oxford students voted to ban Christian Concern from hosting its Wilberforce Academy residential conference at Lady Margaret Hall, calling the group a “real threat to the physical and mental safety of students.” The college, however, said it would permit the group to use its facilities provided that it paid for extra security. A college spokesperson said that Christian Concern's "opposition to abortion, Islam and LGBTQ+" rights would lead to protests so it needed to pay "additional security costs."

"Rainbow Friday" May Violate Polish Constitution and Education Law

October 26, 2018, Poland

For the third year in a row, more than 200 schools across Poland participated in "Rainbow Friday," a campaign to celebrate and promote acceptance of LGBT issues. The Ordo Iuris Institute for Legal Culture examined whether such an addition to the school curriculum violated the education law and interfered with the constitutionally protected rights of parents to direct the education of their children. It encouraged parents who objected to their children's participation in the program to inform the schools of their wishes, and to report violations if their children are compelled to attend.

Repeated Incidents of Vandalism at Santiago de Compostela Church

October 24, 2018, Spain

At night, the church of Santa Susana in Santiago de Compostela is reportedly frequented by young people who use the dimly lit corners of the church as urinals. Additionally nearly all the windows have been smashed in and graffiti covers the exterior of the church.

Scottish Campaign calls Believers 'Bigots'

October 22, 2018, United Kingdom

An anti-hate crime campaign One Scotland, launched in September 2018 by the Scottish police and government, includes a poster directed toward religious believers which reads (in part), “Dear Bigots, you can’t spread your religious hatred here. End of sermon. Yours, Scotland.” Other posters in the campaign were directed toward 'transphobes' and 'homophobes.' Critics of the campaign have noted that it singles out religious believers and calls them bigots without any qualification, and it is based on a political ideology which discriminates against those who hold traditional views.

Second Church Arson in a Month in Heroldsbach

October 21, 2018, Germany

For the second time in a month, a fire was set in the St. Michael church in Heroldsbach. A witness noticed the fire around 5:45pm on Sunday, the 21st of October and called the authorities. The fire brigade was able to quickly extinguish the fire and prevent further damage. An intentional fire had been set in the same church on September 16th. The criminal police of Bamberg continued the investigation into both fires and continued to seek witnesses.

Burglars in Church Vandalized Sacristy

October 21, 2018, France

Unidentified perpetrators broke into Saint-Antoine-l'Ermite church, forced open the tabernacle, and threw the ciborium containing consecrated hosts on the ground. The sacristy was vandalized, but the intruders failed to open the safe.

Church the Victim of Theft and Vandalism

October 19, 2018, United Kingdom

Several incidents of theft and vandalism took place at the Church of St. Thomas and St. John in Radcliffe. Lead from the roof and railings from the disabled access ramp were stolen and the stonework on the ramp was hammered. Ropes installed to replace the railings were then cut. Garbage and waste was repeatedly dumped on the church property.

Church in Yvelines Desecrated

October 16, 2018, France

Police were called to the church of Sainte-Julitte de Saint-Cyr-l'Ecole after feces, urine, and a cigarette butt were discovered at the foot of the altar. A police investigation was opened and a complaint will be filed.

Man Set Fire to Wooden Church Door

October 13, 2018, Spain

The National Police of Gran Canaria arrested a 52-year-old man who intentionally set fire to several points on the wooden door of the parish church of San Bartolomé de Tirajana. The fire was discovered on the 13th of October at around 11:30 p.m. and the police were called. They were able to contain the flames until the arrival of the fire brigade.

Repeated Acts of Vandalism Forces Church to Limit Opening Hours

October 11, 2018, Ireland

Three incidents within two weeks hit the Church of Ireland Christchurch in Buncrana, County Donegal. As well as the burning of Mass leaflets, a Bible was written on, cigarettes were stubbed out on the carpet, eggs were thrown, and flowers were strewn on the floor. The church, which was open throughout the day, was used as a place of prayer by many people. However, the decision was made to close the church outside service times until security was reviewed.

Statues of Saints and the Virgin Mary Smashed, Decapitated, and Stolen in Ticino

October 10, 2018, Switzerland

Since Easter, there have been eight attacks against statues of female saints and the Virgin Mary in the southern canton of Ticino.

Rifle Fire Damaged Stained Glass Windows of Church

October 8, 2018, France

Mayor René Beausoleil announced at a city council meeting that he had filed a complaint with the gendarmerie after "23 impacts of rifle fire" damaged several stained glass windows in the church of Saint-Laurent in Montfaucon-d’Argonne. The damage was estimated at €16,700. The police are investigating.

Dog Excrement left at Church Altar

October 8, 2018, Germany

Sometime between 11 am and 6 pm on October 8th, unknown perpetrators entered a church in Eichendorf, opened a holy water container and moved several crosses from the wall onto the floor. In addition, dog waste was deposited on the altar carpet. The damage was estimated €300.