All cases

Cross broken and graves vandalised in Chartres cemetery

January 31, 2023, France

On 31 January 2023, police officers found that two graves in the Saint-Chéron cemetery in Chartres, France, have been vandalised. A cross had been broken in two places and a granite commemorative plaque shattered.

Dutch Council of State Opinion: "Conversion Therapy" Banns Violate Religious Freedom

January 30, 2023, Netherlands

One year after a group of MPs proposed a Bill in the Netherlands to ban "conversion therapies" (February 2022), the Dutch Council of State declared that the proposed bill would be a violation of religious freedom. The proposed bill aimed to impose a fine of up to 22,500€ and a year of prison for anyone found guilty of offering conversion therapies. But in a recent opinion, the Council announced that there was no clear way to differentiate between actual victims of coercion and participants who chose such a practice voluntarily, emphasizing that intrusive forms of "conversion therapy" and coercion are already prohibited by the existing laws.

House of Lords Passes Buffer Zone Amendment That Turns Prayer into "Thought Crime"

January 30, 2023, United Kingdom

On the 30th of January, the House of Lords passed an amendment that introduces fines for citizens found guilty of “influencing any person’s decision to access, provide or facilitate the provision of abortion services” within 150 metres of these service facilities. The amendment made to the Public Order Bill was tabled by Conservative peer Baroness Suggs.

Crosses torn down at Dampremy cemetery

January 30, 2023, Belgium

At the end of January, local residents found the graves in the Dampremy cemetery in a terrible state. They were particularly shocked to find that in one of the alleys the crosses had been torn down, as had some of the inscriptions on the graves.

Suspect detained in the attack and robbery of a Priest in the town of Jaslo

January 29, 2023, Poland

In the street of Polskie Czerwonego Krzyża located in Jaslo, Poland, a 37-year-old suspect, has attacked and robbed a Priest who was taking a stroll for Christmas carols. The suspect wearing a hoodie and having a knife has come up to the Priest and has stolen his sachet, which contained a sprinkler, prayer book, holy pictures, and pastoral materials, but with no injuries. With the help of witnesses and shreds of evidence, the police department detained the perpetrator on January 11, 2023. The District Court of Jaslo has given him 3 months of jail time.

Swastika Sprayed Next to the Entrance Door of Church

January 28, 2023, Germany

On the afternoon of January 28., a perpetrator sprayed a red swastika symbol on the entrance door of the St. Wendelin Church in Neuses. It was reported that the act of vandalism was discovered right after the mass around 6:15 p.m.. The number 187 was also found next to it. An employee who takes care of the church, Klaus Schmitt, has removed the spray paint off from the wall.

Intended Arson: Two teenagers record themselves While Trying to set Fire To A Church

January 28, 2023, Belarus

It was reported that two 15-year-old teenage girls have caused a hate crime Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Grodno. They filmed themselves while committing this crime on January 28. It is mentioned that the girls might belong to a gothic subculture "judging from their clothes and appearance at the time they committed their act." The agency has also shared how images of swastikas were on their phones and both have been sentenced for vandalism.

Cross stolen from Doncaster church

January 28, 2023, United Kingdom

On 28 January, the church in Doncaster, Yorkshire, was broken into and various items stolen, including a brass tray and cross.

Desecration of church in Koziegłowy. A man has been arrested.

January 27, 2023, Poland

On January 27 the church of Our Lady of Fatima in Koziegłowy near Poznań was desecrated. The perpetrator was a 41-year-old man who has been arrested. He knocked over a statue of the Virgin Mary, vandalized the manger, left the figure of Jesus in the baptismal font and damaged the church's sound system. The Metropolitan Curia of Poznań has called the faithful for acts of reparation.

Cemetery in Świerczyn Severely Vandalised

January 27, 2023, Poland

On the night of 3-4 February 2023, unknown perpetrators vandalised the cemetery in Świerczyn in the Leszno district. About 30-40 gravestones were more or less damaged. In some cases slabs were toppled, vases smashed, in others grave elements were completely smashed and crosses knocked over.