All cases
Theft of Stola and repeated Contamination of Confessional in Church of Alzenau-Hörstein
January 0, 2020, GermanyIn the church "Mariä Himmelfahrt" in Alzenau-Hörstein, faeces were repeatedly left in the confessional; in addition, a stole was stolen. The suspected perpetrator was caught by chance during a traffic control.
Extremists Set Fire to Christian Journalist’s Car in Berlin
December 31, 2019, GermanyOn December 31st German pro-life journalist Gunnar Schupelius’s car was destroyed in an arson attack for which the so-called “Autonomous Feminist Cell” claimed responsibility.
Jesus Statue Beheaded in the Crèche of Caprino Veronese
December 31, 2019, ItalyParishioners at the New Year's Day Mass learned from the priest that the statue of Jesus was no longer in the cradle in the nativity scene in Piazza San Marco in Caprino Veronese because it had been decapitated the night before.
Christmas Figures Broken by Vandals on New Year's Eve
December 31, 2019, ItalyStatues in the nativity scene in Piazza della Libertà, Lizzanello (Lecce) were vandalized by unknown perpetrators during the night of December 31st. The faces of several of the handmade statues were smashed.
Christ Figure Stolen from Nativity on New Year's Eve
December 31, 2019, ItalyOn New Year's Eve, a man riding a bicycle was filmed by security cameras stopping at the crèche in Lecce's Piazza Duomo and stealing the Christ child figure.
Nativity Scene Dismantled Early Due to Repeated Vandalism
December 30, 2019, ItalyVolunteers from the volunteer association Pro Loco of Robbiate were forced to take down the nativity installation prematurely due to repeated vandalism. Vandalism included detaching wooden planks from the hut, dismantling pieces of the roof, and throwing away ornaments and furnishings. The display was dismantled on December 29th instead of January 6th.
Four Teenagers Vandalized Christ Child Statue in Nativity Scene
December 29, 2019, ItalyFour teenaged boys were identified and referred to the Public Prosecutor at the Juvenile Court of Bresci on allegations that they vandalized the statue of the Christ child in the nativity scene in the piazza outside the basilica in San Benedetto Po. The day after the incident, police found the head and torso of the statue hanging on an iron pole on the opposite side of the piazza. Evidence collected led the police to the four perpetrators, described as Muslims, born in Italy, of Moroccan descent. They reportedly admitted their involvement in the incident.
Statue of Christ Child Hanged in Mogliano Veneto
December 29, 2019, ItalyThe statue of the Christ child was discovered removed from the nativity scene in Piazza Berto in Mogliano and hung above the ground with an electric cable around its neck. Plastic cups littered the ground of the crèche.
Electrical Equipment Stolen from Live Nativity Set
December 29, 2019, ItalyThe electrical materials used for a live nativity performance in Canosa di Puglia were stolen on December 29th by unknown thieves.
Christ Child Statue Taken from Crèche; Thrown to the Ground
December 28, 2019, ItalyThe resin figure of Jesus was taken out of the public nativity scene in Parè di Conegliano during the night between December 27th and 28th and thrown to the ground nearby by unknown vandals. Other figures in the scene were toppled and the cradle was stolen.