All cases
Vandalism with Satanic Symbols on Church in Cyprus
October 11, 2020, CyprusOn the night of 11. October, unknown perpetrators sprayed icons, crosses and the church doors of the greek-orthodox Church of Mitseros with Satanic symbols like pentagrams and upside-down crosses. The leader of the village community suspects that the perpetrators could be the same as the ones who started a fire in the church one year ago. The investigations by the police are still ongoing.
Intended Break-In Into Two Churches
October 11, 2020, GermanyDuring the night of 11th to 12th October, two churches were targeted in Burgstädt and Taura. In Burgstädt, unknown perpetrators damaged the town church by the attempt to break-in. Also, on Friday, it was reported that one door had already been forced without success. The damage made goes up to a thousand euros. The second church was on the main street in Taura, where also unknown persons tried to break in, leaving a property damage worth several euros. The Police is investigating both cases.
Suspected Arson in Saint-Laon Church
October 11, 2020, FranceOn 11th October, a fire broke out the church of Saint-Laon in Thouars. The motives remain unknown. The fire required the intervention of the firemen. Fortunately, the paintings have not been damaged, but the stones were blackened by the smoke. The police opened an investigation.
Burglary inside Church and "Heil Satan" Sprayed On Church Door
October 11, 2020, GermanyOn the days between 11. and 14. October, a group of unknown persons broke into a church in Altenburg and vandalized it. The vandals forced the back door open to enter, they also broke an intermediate door open. They did not steal anything from the church but they left an inscription saying "Heil Satan" and "666" on the door, referring to the number of the devil. The damage is estimated to be of several thousand Euros.
Repeated Acts of Vandalism and Desecration at Church of St. Peter and Paul in Steinhofen
October 11, 2020, GermanyThe parish church of St. Peter and Paul in Steinhofen has been devastated inside and outside several times. During the night of October 11th the church was vandalized again. The exterior wall of the church was smeared with paint, the flowers and a sign were torn out of the ground and glass bottles were smashed in the forecourt of the church. The sacristan discovered the damage the next day. The parish has reported the crime and has publicly asked for witnesses.
Burglars Break Into a Church in Naples and Vandalise it
October 9, 2020, ItalyOn the 9th of October, a group of unknown vandals broke into the church Santa Croce al Mercato and caused a lot of damage. The Carabinieri intervened and the technicians of the municipality are estimate the damage. The entrance fence was opened by force and the marble was unhinged from the seat, some brass knobs that held marble plaques were also stolen. The Carabinieri think it was a vandal raid. Inside the sacristy some books have been damaged and some relics are missing.
Vulgar Graffiti Sprayed on the Walls of St. Stephen Chapel
October 9, 2020, PolandIn the evening of October 9th, an unknown vandal painted two vulgar inscriptions in front of the chapel of the St. Stephen's parish. The police are investigating.
Vandals Smeared Church Facade With Insulting Graffiti
October 8, 2020, PolandOn 8 October, the parish of St. Cross in Szczecin was vandalized with paint-bombs and spray-paint by vandals with a LGBT message. They left a logo on the display case with the phrase "Only LGBT", and wrote "You have blood on your hands" on the wall. They also threw paint bombs with the rainbow colors on the wall. Bogna Chalczynska, an extreme-left activist and representative for women, compared these acts to a noble fight of the oppressed Polish people during the Soviet-German occupation. This has caused concern and outrage among the believers who demand respect for their religious buildings.
Attempted Arson at St. Gregory's Church in Kevindale During Funeral Preparations
October 8, 2020, United KingdomOn October 8th two young men forcefully broke into St Gregory's Church in Kevindale by smashing a window of the side chapel. They were caught by the parish priest while they tried to set fire inside the church. The two also caused some other vandalism inside the church. The priest chased the two perpetrators down the road but did not catch them. The vandals broke in during ongoing preparations for a funeral. The community of the church was shocked and demands reparations. The police is investigating.
Arson and Vandalism in Barcelona Targeted El Carmen de Vic Church
October 7, 2020, SpainOn the 7th October, a man caused five fires in the same morning against furniture, banks and the wooden doors of a Church in Barcelona. The police have arrested the 39-year-old man. The Church El Carmen de Vic dated from the 17th and 18th century. The citizens helped the agents to locate the suspect, who first tried to flee.
Martini Church in Bremen Vandalized Again
October 7, 2020, GermanyThe Martini Church in Bremen that belonged to the pastor Olaf Latzel was vandalized again, as reported on the 7th of October. It was smeared by unknown perpetrators with anarchic signs and the inscription "Fight Homophobia" on the wall. The Pastor Latzel is seen as an opponent of abortion and homosexuality and a "hate-speaker" by the LGBTI community. The police will investigate. Meanwhile, in November the pastor will stand in court for sedition, because of his teaching about natural family and homosexuality.
Repeated Vandalism and Graffiti on the Church of Mary in Madrid
October 5, 2020, SpainIn Madrid, the Church of Santa Maria La Antigua was repeatedly tagged with graffiti that appeared on the walls. Additionally, around the church people have left garbage, which degrades the environment. The church is one of the oldest buildings in Madrid, but it is left in a state of abandonment.
St. Kevin's Church Severely Vandalized
October 5, 2020, United KingdomOn October 5th, the St. Kevin's Church in Bargeddie was severely vandalized by unknown perpetrators. A Jesus statue was found with both arms broken off. The police is investigating.
Vandalism of Parochial Empty Container
October 4, 2020, ItalyIn Foligno, on the night of 3rd to 4th October, unknown vandals smashed the windows and floors of the parochial container near the fractional church. The container was empty, so the act of destruction was suspected to be biased. The carabinieri will check the security cameras for clues.
Arson Attack With Burning Vehicle to Saint-Pierre Chanel Church
October 3, 2020, FranceIn the evening of October 3rd, a group of approximately 10 people, dressed in black and masked, set fire to Saint-Pierre Chanel church in Rillieux-la-Pape, close to Lyon. They pushed a car up to the church wall and set it on fire, which blackened the facade and caused damage to offices and meeting rooms. According to mayor Alexandre Vincendet, the same group had set around 10 cars in town on fire that night in a violent raid.
Statue of an Angel Again Destroyed by Vandals
October 3, 2020, GermanyOn the weekend of 2 to 4 October, the statuette of an Angel placed in front of the church of the Holy Spirity in Laufenburg, was destroyed by unknown vandals. Only the feet of the angel remained in front of the church, the other pieces are missing. The statue has been vandalised many times before in 2005. It was restored and inaugurated again in 2006. The restored copy was then damaged again. The city has offered 500 Euro for anyone who can give helpful hints about the perpetrators.
Devastating Arson at Catholic Voluntary Academy in Derby
October 3, 2020, United KingdomOn the early morning of the 3rd of October, a fire broke out in the St. Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy. The firefighters spent most of the day tackling the fire. The Derby City Council was told that there was an alarm at 5am for a break-in, which confirms the case as an arson attack. The fire has devastated the school and the pupils will have to be sent to other schools while reconstruction begins.
Arson Attack Against Church in Vaggeryd
September 29, 2020, SwedenDuring the night of 29 September the Haghults church in Klevshult was set on fire by an unknown perpetrator. A bell tower from the 18th century was completely destroyed and the cemetery was also damaged by the fire. The fire was reported by a witness. Police have started investigations into the arson.
Acts of Vandalism at the Church of San Niccolò
September 28, 2020, ItalyDuring the night of 27 to 28 September, vandals smeared the walls of the church of San Niccolo in Agliana. The whole facade of the Church was tagged with vulgar inscriptions or images. The police was notified and the church plans to install surveillance cameras.
Statue of the Virgin Mary Destroyed
September 28, 2020, ItalyThe statue of Our Lady of the church of the Holy Spirity was damaged by vandals during the night of 29 September. The statue was placed in front of the Chapel. It was thrown to the ground and broken into two pieces. The parish priest reported the incident to the police.