All cases

Posters With Insulting Slogans Hung On the Door of St. Joseph Church

October 30, 2020, Poland

The parish of Ciechanow reported on October 30th, that posters were hung on the door of the church of St. Joseph. Slogans saying "If the altar boys got pregnant, abortion would be a sacrament", "My sisters are not incubators", "You have blood on your hands", "Abortion without borders" and "Choice is not compulsion" were displayed together with the symbol of a lightning, which is the "Women's Strike" symbol. The same attacks took place in the cities of Plock, Gostynin and Dzierzenin.

New Figures Show Churches Targeted For Theft and Vandalism

October 30, 2020, United Kingdom

According to figures published by Countryside Alliance, a total of 212 crimes were reported against churches in Devon and Cornwall over the last year, reported by Cornwall Live on October 30th. The request of the Freedom of Information Act was made to the Police, which revealed the target of churches for lead thefts, but also vandalism, violence, assault and burglary. The government made a commitment to protect places of worship with a crime action plan 2016-2020, which should provide security measures at places of worship vulnerable to hate crimes.

Terrorist Attack On Church in Nice: Three Christians Killed

October 29, 2020, France

Three Christians were murdered, two were practically beheaded and one stabbed to death inside the Notre Dame Basilica around 9 a.m in Nice on October 29th. The French police has arrested the attacker, who is a Tunisian man called A. Brahim. The victims were the 55-year-old caretaker, Vincent Loqués, a 60-year-old lady that was praying and a 44-year-old woman, mother of three small children. According to the police report, several other people were hurt. The elderly woman and the man were killed inside the Basilica, the younger woman was fatally stabbed, ran away and died in a bar in front of the Basilica.

Attack Against St.Anton Church in Vienna

October 29, 2020, Austria

In Vienna, about 30 to 50 young people with a Turkish background entered the church St. Anton on the evening of October 28th. The group rioted and kicked against benches and the confessional while shouting Islamist slogans like "Allahu Akbar". A surveillance camera recorded the scene. Two weeks prior to this incident the church and its surroundings started to be molested by the group. It is belived that the incidnet is connected to the re-publishing of the caricatures of the prophet Mohammed in France.  The police is investigating and surveilling the area.

Church Bench Set on Fire in Cologne

October 29, 2020, Germany

In the Catholic parish Church in Cologne-Longerich, unknown perpetrators set fire to a bench by pouring the disinfectant over it and then placed a burning cushion on top of it. The arson took place in the afternoon of October 29th. Fortunately the flames didn't spread much, the sexton noticed the incident later. The police started an investigation on suspicion of attempted arson. Witnesses are asked to provide further information.

20 Tombstones Vandalized and Desecrated in Polish Cemetery

October 28, 2020, Poland

An act of vandalism at the parish cemetery in Luboszyce took place on the night of October 28th. Around 20 tombstones have been devastated by unknown perpetrators. Many crosses and gravestones have been overturned, some graves were opened and the small figures of angels or candles have been smashed. The police investigated the case and later arrested a 34-year-old man.

A Group of Young People Vandalized the Russian Church Garden

October 28, 2020, Italy

It was reported on the 28th of October that a group of young people gathered at night in the garden of the Russian Church in Bari. Some of them vandalized it and left the place in a bad state. A citizen witnessed this gathering and reported the incident on Facebook to the mayor Antonio Decaro.

Wooden Church Almost Completely Burned Down

October 28, 2020, Czech Republic

In the Kinsky Garden in Prague, the wooden Orthodox Church of St. Michael was almost completely burned down. According to the first information, a fire broke out in the lower part of the wooden structure. However, the fire spread throughout the whole building. The cause is not yet known, and the police is investigating the cause and origin of the fire. The small tower of the church collapsed; the firefighters extinguished the flames.

Convent of the Carmelite is Vandalized with Offensive and Vulgar Slogans

October 28, 2020, Poland

In Warsaw, the facade of the Carmelite convent was smeared by unknown vandals. Offensive and vulgar slogans were written on the outer walls, which the nuns renovated for years. The vandalism happened during the night of October 28th.

Church in Meriadec Repeatedly Vandalized

October 28, 2020, France

On October 28th, the church in Meriádec was vandalized again. Unknown vandals shattered the stained-glass windows of the church by throwing stones. The parish committee has decided to file a complaint, as this is not the first time that vandalism has happened. The cost of the repairs are being evaluated and the police is investigating.