Vandalism St. Anna Basilica in Altötting: Pentecost Service Relocated
On the night before Pentecost Sunday, June 8, 2025, a 19-year-old man vandalised the pilgrimage church of St. Anna in Altötting, damaging and soiling numerous sacred objects. Police estimate the resulting property damage to be in the mid-five-figure range. The violent incident disrupted morning Pentecost services.
According to police reports, the suspect is believed to have locked himself inside the basilica on the evening of June 7 and was discovered early Sunday morning by a staff member, who immediately called emergency services. During the arrest, the man bit a policewoman in the thigh, causing a minor injury that did not require immediate medical treatment.
Initial assessments place the total damage at a mid‑five‑figure euro amount, due to the defacement and destruction of religious artifacts. The incident disrupted Pentecost services: one pilgrimage mass had to be relocated to another church, while another was canceled entirely, interrupting the symbolic conclusion of Pentecost celebrations.
The suspect has been formally charged with multiple offenses, including vandalism endangering public property, disturbance of religious worship, trespassing, resisting and assaulting law enforcement officers. While the Traunstein public prosecutor did not request his pre‑trial detention, he was placed in a psychiatric facility due to the circumstances.
Source: Katholisch.de, SPIEGELPanorama, BR24
Image: Mattis - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wiki Commons