All cases

Hate Crime Against St Mary's Church In Limavady

January 30, 2021, United Kingdom

On January 31st, the St Mary's Church in Limavady was target of a hate crime. Vandals sprayed the acronyms "UVP" and "UFF" onto the church walls on Irish Green Street and moreover damaged a statue. The Ulster Freedom Fighter (UFF) is known to be a cover name for the Ulster Defence Association (UDA), an umbrella group of various loyalist groups. The UFF is suspected to have killed more than 250 people.

Graffiti and Damage On A Newly Restored Church In Arcisate

January 30, 2021, Italy

On January 30th, after finishing restoration works of several months, the restorers of the San Vittore Martire Church in Arcisate discovered a graffiti on the side wall of the church. Additionally, the vandals urinated on the church wall and in the corners. The work was halted for two days over the weekend, but it is likely that these acts took place the night before the weekend because the plaster was still fresh. Measures must now be taken to restore it.

Baby Jesus Stolen from Nativity in Riedlingen

January 28, 2021, Germany

The wooden Baby Jesus figure was stolen from the nativity scene at the St. Georg church in Riedlingen on September 28th. It was not know who stole the figure which is of great value to the church.

Church in Bellevue Defaced with Anti-Christian Tags

January 28, 2021, France

A Bellevue church was tagged with Anti-Chritian slogans, as discovered by the police on the 28th of January. The walls and doors of the Bellevue parish were covered with inscriptions.

Attempted Arson On Saint-Paul Church In Montpellier

January 25, 2021, France

On January 25th, unknown perpetrators attempted to set fire to the Saint-Paul Church located in the district of Mosson. The priest discovered thick smoke coming out of the worship room, which emerged from a wooden table. Ash was found on the table coming from a pile of papers, which indicates that the table was deliberately set on fire. Another indication for a case of arson is an obscene graffiti on a figure of Jesus Christ which was found on the walls of the building. Fire fighters were able to put out the fire but still damage was caused.

Major Theft From Church Collection Boxes in Cork

January 25, 2021, Ireland

On January 25th, a priest became suspicious, as he found cheques from other parishes in his collection box. Therefore he viewed church CCTV footage and saw a man using a hooked piece of wire to remove envelopes containing cash from a collection box. The police arrested a man for questioning about a series of thefts from churches in east Cork, which involved thousands of Euros in cash being stolen out of collection boxes.

Repeated Graffiti Attack On Church In Sabiñánigo

January 24, 2021, Spain

On January 24th, the church of Castillo Guarga, in the municipal park of Sabiñánigo was yet again a target of an act of vandalism. The 12th century romanesque window of the church was covered with graffiti. The graffiti has to be removed by a specific cleaning company with special cleaning products due to the porous wall. The police is searching for the unknown perpetrators.

Historic Church in Stockholm Attacked with Three Molotov Cocktails

January 24, 2021, Sweden

An 800-year-old church located in Stockholm has been attacked twice within one week. It has been reported by Swedish media that on 12 January, three Molotov cocktails were thrown into the Spånga church. The church located just outside of Tensta and flanked by Rinkeby might have been targeted by Muslims, who form the majority of the population in that area. Four days before said incident two explosives were hurled into the Church, one smashed through the church windows, while another one was thrown at the church gate. The church's pastor recalls, “the alarm was triggered when a window was smashed and flammable liquid thrown at the front gate and one of the windows. However, the fire was quickly put out by the police, who used a powder extinguisher”.

San Martino Church In Italy Vandalized

January 22, 2021, Italy

In the evening of January 22nd, two young perpetrators broke into the church of San Martino in Rezzato. The vandals completely destroyed the entrance door and pews. The police were informed and a charge was filed.

Severe Vandalism and Arson Of A Church In Germany

January 22, 2021, Germany

The interior of the Protestant Christ church in Radolfzell was heavily vandalized on January 22nd. The organ bench, the conductor's platform and a wrought-iron door were thrown from the gallery into the church hall. Parts of the sacristy and the kitchen in the parish hall were also destroyed. In addition, there was a fire set in the area of the lighting system, which the fire fighters were able to extinguish. The church had been cleared out due to renovation works and the front door had been left open so that people could say goodbye to the church in it's old form, the pastor explained. The 63-year-old perpetrator was arrested on the spot. The police started investigations for suspected arson and vandalism.