All cases

Former Spanish Deputy Encourages Violence and Vandalism to Churches

January 9, 2021, Spain

Marga Ferré, Izquierda Unida's former deputy in the Madrid Assembly for two terms, has encouraged young girls to enter churches without clothes and has applauded the demolition of statues. In a chat with six other communist women, this journalist made statements that glorify vandalism against Christian sites, considering it "amusing".

Lutheran Church in Leipzig Attacked with Stones and Paint by Left Extremists

January 6, 2021, Germany

The St. Lukas Church in Leipzig was vandalized with paint and stones by left extremists. The portal image was damaged with paint bags and windows were smashed with stones. On January 6th, the left extremist platformed indymedia, which is monitored by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, claimed to be the originator of the attack in an online letter. It stated: "Assembly for Moria - Smash Christian-White Europe. We attacked a Lutheran church in Leipzig to start our Monday campaign for Moria. We attacked with stones and paint". The case and the validity of the letter will be further investigated.

Christmas Tree in Vienna Trenched with Gasoline "because it doesn't belong in a Muslim district"

January 1, 2021, Austria

On New Year's Eve, around 20-30 adolescents had gathered in Vienna, attacking shops, apartment balconies and other facilities on a public square with explosive pyrotechnical supplies. They also poured a diesel-gasoline mixture over a Christmas tree. Several trash cans flew against windows damaging the surrounding shop windows. "A Christmas tree has no place in a Muslim district, said one of the rioters," a member of the emergency services stated. The rioting mob also attacked the police officers by throwing firecrackers at them and shouting "Allahu Akbar"slogans. Four people were arrested immediately and the local government initiated a new security strategy for the area.

Angel Statues Stolen from Church in Polla

January 1, 2021, Italy

Statues of Angels were stolen from the Church of the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary in Polla but fortunately have been discovered again and returned. The angels together with an altar from the 18th century were stolen in January 2021. As the angels date back to 1700 they carry a high historical value. The police Unit for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Naples discovered the stolen angels in a private house in the Neapolitan area. It is planned to hand them over during a ceremony on 21 June, to celebrate both, the church's reopening as well as the recovery of the stolen angels.

Graves In Fontainebleau Desecrated With Swastikas

December 28, 2020, France

In the night of December 28th, about sixty graves in the municipal cemetery of Fontainebleau were desecrated with swastikas. "67 old or recent stelae were vandalised with swastikas in pink, white and silver," said Fontainebleau's LR mayor Frédéric Valletoux. The Jewish cemetery, which is next to the town's main cemetery, was not desecrated, according to the Fontainebleau prosecutor's office, which has launched an investigation into "damage to graves". On Twitter, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said he was "disgusted by the desecration of the cemetery" and stressed that "everything will be done to find the perpetrators of this desecration".

Troublemakers Break Into A Church Proclaiming 'Allah' on the Altar

December 27, 2020, Spain

On December 27, unknown perpetrators who broke into a church in Murcia, Spain, climbed onto the altar and were arrested proclaiming 'Allah'. "We tried to get them to leave, but there was no way, and then the police were called. And the police had two patrols here within five minutes," said Silvestre del Amor, a parish priest and witness to what happened. Members of the National Police asked the subjects to show identification, but they had no documents with them. The perpetrators were taken to the police station and charged with a crime against religious feelings.

Burglar arrested In Grantham After an Attack on St Wulfram's Church

December 25, 2020, United Kingdom

A man robbed St Wulfram's Church in Grantham on Christmas morning, 25 December, after smashing a historic stained glass window. Lee Gray, who is now under arrest, destroyed items inside the church and then stole cash and the safe which contained valuable books and confidential documents. Among the stolen items was an original manuscript of a book about St Wulfram, the church's patron saint. The broken stained glass window caused £6,500 worth of damage and the church had to spend a further £5,000 replacing the locks. The total cost of the damage and stolen items was £15,229.

In Perpignan: A Convert Couple Deported and will be Sentenced to Death in Iran

December 24, 2020, France

Ata Fathimaharloei, his wife, Somayeh Hajifoghaha, and their two children converted to Christianity from Islam and sought asylum in France. The Christian refugee family in Pyrenees-Orientales are threatened with deportation and death sentence in their home country.

Nativity Scene Destroyed With Petrol Bomb on Christmas Eve

December 24, 2020, United Kingdom

A nativity scene in Raglan, Monmouthshire was destroyed with a petrol bomb on Christmas Eve. The perpetrators are unknown and a reward of £2,500 has been offered to anyone who can trace the culprit. The nativity scene had been installed in a bus shelter to bring joy to families over Christmas. The petrol bomb set the statues of a shepherd, Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus on fire, all were completely destroyed.

Protestant Mayor Charged for not Willing to Bless Homosexual Couples

December 24, 2020, France

Franck Meyer, evangelical mayor of a small town in Normandy, Sotteville-sous-le-Val, has now been accused by two LGBT associations. The evangelical mayor, president of the Protestant Committee for Human Dignity (CPDH), declared that he would not bless a marriage "between two men or two women" out of fidelity to his religious convictions. He called for a "conscience clause", as exists in the case of infant baptism or for doctors who oppose abortion, but which does not apply to elected representatives. For the lawyer of the two LGBT associations, Franck Meyer's remarks constitute "discrimination committed by a person with public authority in the course of his functions". Meyer vehemently contradicted this in a press release on 17 December: "I therefore formally deny the accusations of discrimination made against me and consider that they amount to a defamatory denunciation. "