All cases

Vandals Damage Organ of in St. Mary's Church in Italy

October 7, 2022, Italy

The church of St. Mary of Jesus in Ritiro was vandalised and the organ was damaged on the 7. October. This incident occurred only 9 months after the last case of vandalism, according to the source. The CCTV cameras show that young persons broke into the building and gravely damaged the electronic organ. They also mimicked the Crucifix and played with some of the furnishings of the altar before running away.

Spanish Observatory for Religious Freedom Takes Legal Action for being Hacked after Releasing Annual Report

October 6, 2022, Spain

The Observatory for Religious Freedom and Freedom of Conscience (Observatorio para la Libertad Religiosa y de Conciencia) has reported on its social media that it has denounced the hacking of which they were victims last October 6 during the presentation of the "Report of attacks on religious freedom in Spain 2021".

Belarusian authorities take Minsk's Red Church from Catholics

October 6, 2022, Belarus

After a fire on September 25, where arson has not been ruled out, media sources reported on October 6 that Belarusian authorities are terminating the Red Church's use agreement with the Roman Catholic parish community of St. Simon and St. Helen. Notice of this has already been received by the church authorities and the parish has been ordered to take all belongings from the temple within a few days.

Minsk authorities close the Catholic school of the Catholic Christian Social Center

October 6, 2022, Belarus

It was reported on the 6th of October that Minsk authorities closed a religious school at the Catholic Christian Social Center of the city. Police were sent to the centre to check "whether there were any classes there", Radio Svaboda reports. According to Fr. Yuri Sanko, Minsk authorities ordered the social and educational parts to be closed on August the 30th.

Continuous acts of vandalism by teenagers against a church in Italy

October 5, 2022, Italy

The parish priest Vincenzo Del Mastro, of the "Madonna della Grazia" Church in Andria has spoken up about recurrent and serious vandalism to his church on the 5th of October. He says that in the afternoons and evenings around 20 to 30 teenagers come with electric bikes and invade the area near the main entrance of the church. The priest says that they smoke cigarettes and drugs, are found and damage the flowerbeds. Also, if he tries to reprimand them, they insult him or throw stones at him. They have also defaced the back wall of the church and broke a door. The priest is asking for support from his community.

Report: concerning rise of hate crimes against religious minorities in Turkey

October 4, 2022, Turkey

A new report on "Hate Crimes Based on Religion, Belief or Nonbelief in Turkey" by the Freedom of Belief Initiative of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee describes the increasing problem of hate incidents against religious minorities in the country. These attacks target Christians, Jews, Alevis (a branch of Shīʿa Islam with some pre-Islamic influences, which is practiced mainly in Turkey), and atheists. The nature of the hate attacks varies between damage to property, threats, violent attacks against individuals, damage to places of worship and cemeteries, harassment, and insults. Some places belonging to religious communities have been repeatedly targeted.

Statue of Padre Pio Stolen from church in Italy

October 4, 2022, Italy

A statue of Padre Pio that belonged to the church of Santa Marta in Carpignano was stolen by unknown persons. This was reported on the 4th of October, the statue of fibreglass and two vases were stolen from the church. There was no vandalism inside the religious site. The theft was discovered by the woman who cleans the church. The church filed a complaint with the authorities.

Cathedral of Lugo Vandalized by Young People and Posted on TikTok

October 4, 2022, Spain

A TikTok video shows how a large group of young people vandalize the Cathedral of Lugo – declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2015 – by climbing up and down its facade in a kind of competition. Earlier this year, in March there was another incident of vandalism at the cathedral, as three young men urinated on its facade. The damage done was estimated around 900 Euro by the police.

Scotland: proposed “conversion therapy” ban gravely affects parents' rights and religious freedom

October 4, 2022, United Kingdom

A new report was submitted to the Scottish Government on the 4th of October that could criminalize efforts by parents to mentor their children according to their beliefs, with the possibility of losing parental custody. Prayers and private conversations could also be criminalized. The report considers "conversion practices" as "any treatment, practice or effort that aims to change, suppress, and/or eliminate a person's sexual orientation, expression of sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or gender expression.".

Vandals Throw Eggs at Church in Germany

October 3, 2022, Germany

In the city of Vöhringen, unknown perpetrators threw several eggs at the façade wall of the front side and the main entrance of the church in the Roselfelder Straße between 31 October and 3 November. After it was cleaned, not all residues could be removed, according to the police report, which estimates the damage caused at several hundred euros.