All cases

Statue of Infant Jesus Beheaded in St. Johann Church in Saarbrücken

November 27, 2023, Germany

On November 27, unknown perpetrators vandalized the Basilica of St. John the Baptist in Saarbrücken. A statue of Infant Jesus has been beheaded and the statute of Mary, holding the infant, was also damaged. Later on, a 44-year-old woman was identified as the perpetrator.

Statue of Mary Damaged and Cross Stolen from Church in Vienna

November 24, 2023, Austria

On November 23, Keplerkirche St. Johann in Vienna was vandalized. Witnesses had seen a man who had allegedly tore a statue of the Madonna from an anchorage in the church and stole a wooden cross. Based on the witness statements and video surveillance footage, the police were able to identify the perpetrator. The 29-year-old Syrian man was found near the church and arrested. He will be charged with aggravated damage to property and theft. The stolen cross was returned to the church. The same perpetrator attacked the Viennese St. Stephan cathedral a few days later (see case from November 26, 2023).

Historical 16th century crucifix destroyed in Seville

October 22, 2023, Spain

The historic crucifix located in the Santa Marta square in Seville was destroyed on the night of October 22nd by unknown perpetrators. It dated to the 16th century and had a carving of a crucifix on one side and a pietà on the other.

Metal cross blown up in Nagorno-Karabakh by Azerbaijani troops

September 27, 2023, Armenia

The second tallest metal cross in Europe, a 50-meter cross overlooking Stepanakert, the capital of the ethnic-Armenian Republic of Artsakh, was destroyed during the Azerbaijani military offensive that began on 19 September. This is only one of many attacks on the Christian religion of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, who are suffering an ethnic cleansing from their native land since the Azerbaijani military offensive.

Vandals set fire to a cross on the summit of Nagy-Szénás mountain

August 20, 2023, Hungary

Vandals set fire to a wooden cross erected a few years ago in the Nagy-Szénás mountain, near the village of Nagykovácsi. This happened on August 20, when Hungary celebrates its first king St. Stephen I and the State Foundation Day. The burning of the cross, erected on the 550-metre-high peak, has provoked strong anger among the villagers who have already started a fundraising campaign to replace the cross as soon as possible. The perpetrators have not been identified.

"God is Trans" tagged on Religious Panel during World Youth Day

August 5, 2023, Portugal

On August 5, a tile panel depicting the Ecce Homo (an image of Jesus Christ), the 5th station of the ancient procession of "Nosso Senhor dos Passos," was vandalized with the graffiti "God is trans" in the city of Torres Novas. This panel had recently been restored and blessed.

Statue of Mary Damaged in L'Aquila Church

August 1, 2023, Italy

In L'Aquila a young man damaged a statue of Mary in the church of San Pio X. According to initial police reports, the young man defaced the statue with a Hebrew tetragram after waiting for the departure of worshippers. He then forcibly pulled the statue from its pedestal, causing damage to its arm and legs.

Vandals Damage Statues in Chapel in Żuklin

July 31, 2023, Poland

In Żuklin, in Kańczuga commune, two religious figures were vandalised by unknown perpetrators. The damage caused to the chapel was noticed by residents who were shocked upon discovering the act of vandalism. The eyes of a statue of Mary and a statue of Jesus were defaced.

63-Year-Old Sets two Bibles on Fire on Church Altar

July 30, 2023, Germany

On the 30th of July, a 63-year-old man set fire to two Bibles on the altar of a church in the Ravensburg district. Firefighters intervened to restrain the man before the police arrived and arrested him. Due to the firefighter's prompt intervention, the fire did not spread to the church or its furniture.

Russian Missile Strikes Holy Transfiguration Cathedral

July 23, 2023, Ukraine

In the early hours of the July 23, a Russian missile struck the central altar of the Holy Transfiguration Cathedral in Odesa, reducing a large part of it to rubble. The building and the three lower floors were partially destroyed, while the interior and icons were significantly damaged. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church called for an immediate, final break of ties with the Russian Orthodox Church.

Statue vandalised in Rabastens Church

July 5, 2023, France

On July 5, a statue of Mary was found vandalised in the Notre-Dame-du-Bourg Church in Rabastens. The statue has been sprayed with red paint. According to France 3, a local resident criticised the lack of reaction from the town's mayor.

Statues of Jesus and Mary decapitated in Viennese Park

July 3, 2023, Austria

Images of Jesus and Mary were beheaded and vandalized in a prayer garden in a district of Vienna, Austria. The prayer garden is considered a spiritual oasis for visitors. The alarm was raised by two bypassers who discovered the devastated prayer garden. The police have been notified and they are conducting investigations to identify the motives and the perpetrators. A video by "Project Telos" shows the devastation of several objects in the garden, and the direct targeting of the statues of Mary and Jesus.

Statue of Mary destroyed in Church in Fonzaso

June 30, 2023, Italy

On June 1, the statue of Mary was found destroyed in a church in Fonzaso. Perpetrators put the broken statue on the altar of the church. The statue was an important symbol for the church, which is named after the Nativity of Mary and the community is shocked about the incident.

Case opened over the the Burning of a Cross in La Coruña

June 1, 2023, Spain

On June 1st, the provincial prosecutor's office of La Coruña opened a case over the burning of a cross in La Toleira of Neda, following a complaint by the organisation of Christian Lawyers. The lawyers' organization indicates that BNG (Galician nationalist party) members were responsible for the incident. They are being charged with possible hate crimes, offending religious feelings, offending historical heritage and illegal demonstrations. The Prosecutor's Office is asking the police to identify those involved in the reported act and the person(s) responsible for the fire.

Mayor tears down memorial cross two days after losing elections

May 31, 2023, Spain

The mayor of Barrado, a town in the province of Caceres, tore down the cross dedicated to the 'fallen' of the Spanish Civil War on May 31, after having lost the municipal elections two days before. The politician, a member of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), justifies his decision on the 'Democratic Memory Law' but the foundation Abogados Cristianos considers it an attack on Christians and is considering legal action.

French Church Desecrated in Cugnaux Village

May 28, 2023, France

On Sunday May 28, individuals broke into the church and carried out various acts of vandalism and damage to the place of worship. They tried to set fire to the church, also all the candles were knocked over, a crucifix was damaged and paintings were broken. The mayor, Albert Sanchez, strongly condemned this act of violence. In this context, local representatives called for a peaceful gathering in front of Cugnaux town hall (near the church), on May 31 at 6:30 pm to condemn all acts of violence against places of worship.

Vandals locked out Priest and Vandalize his Church

May 23, 2023, Poland

In Malnia, near Gogolin on May 23rd, unknown perpetrators blocked the door to the rectory to prevent the parish priest from intervening and destroyed a statue of Mary, a statue of St. Anthony, and damaged the interior of the church. The losses made by the perpetrators were estimated at several thousand zlotys.

Vandals Pour Red Paint Inside the Walls of a French Church

May 19, 2023, France

On May 19, between 3:00 and 7:00 p.m., unknown perpetrators entered the church Notre-Dame des Grâces in Revel without being detected. Once inside, they poured red paint on the walls. A depiction of Christ on the cross, a pyrographed painting of the Virgin and Child, candles and the altar were also vandalized with paint. On a wall, the word "proteste" (unclear form in French) was also written in red. The mayor considers closing the church outside worship hours due to this incident. The same happening had already taken place on May 1st, with the same acts and the word "protest" written on a wall with red paint. Back in 2018, the church in Revel had been attacked with arson.

Perpetrator Tags Church with Graffiti, Among other Vandalic acts

May 5, 2023, France

On May 5, 2013, graffiti was found on the Church of Lieusaint, in a suburb of Paris. The graffiti, which said: 'Vive l'Islam et la paix" (Long live Islam and Peace) was written in French and a Star of David was drawn. According to a local Muslim association, the scripture, full of mistakes, is unlikely to come from a Muslim. The Mayor strongly condemns this "proof of human stupidity". Last year, statues inside the church had been destroyed.

Street wall Displays insults and Hateful Messages Against Christians

May 2, 2023, Germany

A German man who was doing a bicycle tour around the Tollensee Sea in Germany, near Neubrandenburg, came across a wall displaying several hateful or disrespectful messages and insults almost entirely against Christians or Catholic Christians. He posted a picture of the display on his facebook page and informed the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians. Some of the posters on the wall say "F**k off Vatican", "Good that theologians are disappearing on their own", "Catholics are sh*t", among other things.