All cases

Arson and Vandalism at Church in Germany

October 28, 2021, Germany

On 28. October at around 7.15 pm., witnesses found that there had been several damages to property in the church in Hellenthal. The organ and other objects were smeared with wax, and a burnt hole was found in the pew, among other things. The damage amounts to a few hundred euros. The damage to the property must have taken place between 10 am and 7 pm. The police opened an investigation.

Man Damaged Crucifix and Dismantled Church for "Religious Reasons"

October 28, 2021, Germany

At around 12.30 p.m. on 28. October, the police received a report of damage to property in the evangelical Frauenberg church in Sangerhäuser Straße, Nordhausen. A 25-year-old Afghan man had gone into the church, emptied it for "religious reasons" and broken a Crucifix. The police have filed a complaint of damage to property. The amount of damage is not yet known, but the damaged Crucifix had a high historical value to the community, which will be immediately restored.

Church Walls Vandalized with Graffiti in Leipzig

October 28, 2021, Germany

On the 28. October at night, vandals sprayed messages in black paint on the walls of a church in Stötteritz. Some of the tags were also against the police and the damage to property is estimated at around 1,000 euros. The police filed a report are investigating the incident.

Repeated Acts of Vandalism and Theft in the Catholic Church of Reilingen

October 28, 2021, Germany

The Catholic in Reillingen suffered of multiple cases of vandalism and also in the year before several thefts. A gilded consecrated cross, was stolen from a pedestal in front of a Virgin Mary statue in Reilingen. A year later, the cross which was from the St. Wendelin church, has been replaced. This theft was after multiple candles and candlesticks were stolen in the preceding months.

Christians Attacked and Insulted while protecting a St.John Paul II Monument

October 27, 2021, Poland

On the 27th October 2020, unidentified pro-abortion protesters attacked, with telescopic batons, people defending the monument of St. John Paul II in Wołomin from being devastated during the local Women’s Strike. As a result of the perpetrators’ actions, one person was injured and had to be taken to the hospital.

Statue of the Virgin Mary Desecrated with Feces in Damasławek

October 26, 2021, Poland

A statue of the Virgin Mary, located in an outdoor space belonging to the local church, was found with traces of excrement on the pedestal on which it stands. The parish priest Father Grzegorz Iwinński explained how this was the most severe attack the church had experienced. The perpetrator, who was caught on camera, faces up to two years in prison for offending religious freedoms.

France: Vandalism and Tags on Church Walls Related to a Report on Pedophilia

October 26, 2021, France

On October 26, graffitis were found on the walls of Saint Blandine Church in Lyon. The paintings were related to the CIASE report that contains the number of pedophilia cases that took place in France from 1950 to 2020. The first deputy of the 2nd arrondissement, Jean-Stephane Chaillet, strongly condemned the act on Twitter. The case was reported to the police. A precedent has been also reported in Nantes, where a day after the report was released, tags saying "church of rapists" were painted on the walls of a Catholic high school in downtown Nantes, Saint-Stanislas, and a nearby convent.

Stained Glass and Squared Timber Broken in the Church of Eibenstock

October 26, 2021, Germany

Two leaded glass windows and a three meter long squared timber were broken in the town church of Eibenstock. The windows were smashed with stones and the board of the congregation commented "we are simply horrified." The police investigated the incident.

Man Pours Fecal Matter over a Statue of the Virgin Mary

October 26, 2021, Poland

It has first been reported that a man had been vandalising a statue of the Virgin Mary by pouring fecal matter over it for several months, the most recent incident being in October 26. in 2021. The last incident was recorded by a security camera, which made it possible to identify the perpetrator. The 57-year-old man has received a one-year sentence of restriction of liberty and has been charged with the costs of the proceedings.

Jehovah’s Witnesses Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison in Russia

October 25, 2021, Russia

Rustam Diarov, 48, Yevgeniy Ivanov, 44, and Sergey Klikunov, 46, all Jehovah's Witnesses, were given a sentence of eight year in a Russian prison for "extremist" religious activity. Olga Ivanova, 38, Yevgeniy’s wife, was sentence to 42 months. These sentences are longer than for kidnapping or rape and mark an increased cruelty toward Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. The sentences have been increasingly longer every year.