All cases

Perpetrators Rioted Inside Church and Damaged the Organ

March 20, 2021, Germany

Unknown perpetrators rioted in St George's Church in Freistett and damaged the valuable organ. On 20 March, unknown persons entered the open church unnoticed and caused damage amounting to several thousand Euros. Individual church brochures, hymn books and pens were scattered on the floor, the lid from the baptismal font was placed on the altar, the permanent candles extinguished, electricity plugs pulled and the confirmation and baptism fish for good wishes torn. "The perpetrators have (also) wilfully damaged the organ," regretted the church's pastor. CCTV was now installed. The police are investigating.

Forty Religious Objects Recovered After Theft in Ile de France Region

March 20, 2021, France

Numerous religious objects such as statues, altar crosses, Stations of the Cross, reliquaries have been stolen between June and November. The police of Seine et Marne found around 40 objects linked to 26 thefts. The statues of St Joseph were found by an elected representative of the commune on an advertisement website. He contacted the seller and informed the police who went to his home in Montreuil and traced the other stolen religious objects.

Attempted Arson In Protestant Church In Glonn

March 19, 2021, Germany

During the night of March 19th, unknown persons attempted to set fire to the vestibule of the Protestant church in Glonn. According to the police, flyers and other informational leaflets were set on fire. The entrance door, a side table and a carpet were burnt, but the fire did not spread to the whole church. The caused property damage is estimated at about 2.500 Euros.

Church of Saint-Denis de la Croix Rousse Damaged and Vandalized

March 19, 2021, France

On the 19th of March, a forty-three-year-old man, known for fifty previous convictions, vandalized the church of Saint Denis in Croix-Rousse in the district of Lyon. The perpetrator climbed on the altar and knocked down the cross. Three days later, he returned to the church and stole the candlestick. The perpetrator was arrested in Place Tobie-Robatel and brought before the public prosecutor’s office.

Saint-Louis Church in La Roche-sur-Yon Tagged by Anarchists

March 19, 2021, France

On 19 March, the Saint-Louis Church in La Roche-sur-Yon has been tagged by Anarchists. The sentence of ‘’Vive la commune de 1971’’ (long live the 1871 commune) has been tagged in red and signed with an A circled, which is the symbol of the Anarchists. This is not the first time that the church has been targeted. Last March, Saint-Louis Church and the visitation monastery have also been a victim of vandalism with the same anarchist symbol on their wall. An investigation has been opened.

Icons and Walls of Church in Titan Smeared by Radical Left Group

March 18, 2021, Romania

The wooden church in Titan, Bucharest was vandalised by a radical Left group during the night of March 18th. Volunteers from the congregation discovered the damage when they opened the church the next morning. The outside walls of the wooden church were tagged with inscriptions such as "BLM" and "Be Gay do crime", which also covered the icons. BLM is short for Black Lives Matter, the movement in the United States. According to spokesperson of the Romanian Patriarchate, Vasile Bănescus, the act is just the latest example in a long line of violent acts dictated and perpetuated by neo-Marxism.

Perpetrators Vandalise Church Facade in Kożuchów with Threatening Slogans

March 17, 2021, Poland

Unknown perpetrators have vandalised the facade of the parish church in Kożuchów. A threatening slogan in Spanish was tagged on the wall "The only church that lights up is the one that burns". The perpetrators face a sentence of up to five years in prison for destroying property. The police is investigating.

Arson and Vandalism In Church In Gödöllő

March 15, 2021, Hungary

On the evening of March 15th, unknown perpetrators broke into the Greek Orthodox Church of Gödöllő. The perpetrators then set fire to the pews and sprayed an icon with flammable material. Neighbours noticed the fire and immediately alerted the fire brigade. The parish priest described the vandalism as a clearly anti-Christian act and said that damage the vandals caused is estimated to be around 2.5 million HUF. The police is investigating.

Church Window Smashed With Beer Bottles In Bielefeld

March 14, 2021, Germany

On March 14th, unknown persons smashed a church window and knocked over a barrel of gravel in Bielefeld. Police officers were informed and found a broken window and an overturned barrel with gravel. According to current information, the window was broken with two beer bottles. The police is now looking for witnesses.

Vandalism and Theft in the Liebfrau Church in Karlsruhe

March 13, 2021, Germany

An unknown perpetrator entered the Church of Our Lady in Karlsruhe, on the morning of March 13, and stole the condolence book of the pastor, who had recently passed away. Inside the church, as the police reported, the unidentified vandal threw the holy water kettle, candles, glasses, and other objects on the ground. Afterward, the perpetrator disappeared from the church without being recognized.