All cases
Man Sentenced to Prison for Terrorist Threats against Reims Cathedral
August 28, 2018, FranceOn the night of the 21st of July 2018 after the light show "Rêve de Couleurs," on the facade of the cathedral, a drunk individual shouted "Allahu Akbar! Long live Daech! I will butcher you!" at all the people he met in front of the cathedral. He further threatened: "I'm going to attack! I'm going to blow up the cathedral!" A passerby who tried to interfere was slapped. The perpetrator has been identified as 19-year-old Tony Brébant from Reims who recently converted to Islam. He was sentenced to fourteen months in prison on the 28th of August 2018.
Image of Madonna Defaced
August 26, 2018, ItalyThere was an act of vandalism in the small church of Madonna Addolorata di Lopi in the municipality of Castiglione del Lago on August 28th, 2018. The face of the Madonna in a seventeenth-century painting was smeared with black paint. In addition to that, the same paint was used to spray the small squares of the Via Crucis and blasphemous words were written on the walls of the church. The damage done to the painting of the Madonna cannot be repaired. The police were informed about the incident.
Offensive Graffiti on Information Panel of Church
August 26, 2018, ItalyVandals wrote offensive slurs on the information panel on the facade of the church of Grottaglie.
Belgian Minister of Culture calls for Ban on Religious Broadcasting after Bible Reading
August 26, 2018, BelgiumVerses from Paul's letter to the Ephesians were broadcast on radio and Flemish TV station VRT from a Catholic Mass in the town of Grimbergen. A lay reader quoted Ephesians 5 22-33: "Women, be submissive to your husband as the husband to the Lord. For the man is the head of the woman as Christ is the head of the church." This sparked a row over whether religious broadcasting should be stopped and caused the Belgian Minister of Culture, Sven Gatz to tweet "No outdated, woman-unfriendly statements ... please. What if, for example, an imam would have said this?" He told the newspaper Het Nieuwsbald " The fact that they come from an old book is not an argument for letting them go to our people. This is not of this time, and that it is broadcast on the VRT for the whole of Flanders is already completely crazy."
Mayor Offers Reward to Catch Church Vandals
August 25, 2018, ItalyAfter tourists used black and red spray paint to deface the white wall of the 14th century church Madonna del Soccorso on the island of Ischia, the town's mayor offered a reward to 500 euros for anyone who provides useful information to find those responsible for the vandalism. This incident caused sadness and indignation among the people who live in the village.
Police Investigate Vandalism of Brussels Church
August 25, 2018, BelgiumThe walls of Saint-Antoine de Padoue Church in the district of Forest in Brussels was sprayed with obscene graffiti during the summer holidays between mid-July and mid-August 2018. The house opposite was also vandalized. As of late August, the graffiti remained on the buildings, as the municipality was required to wait for authorization from the police before it could proceed with clean-up.
Córdoba Parish Vandalized with Anarchist Graffiti
August 25, 2018, SpainThe phrase "De tumba en tumba y tiro por que toca. Fachas" was discovered written exterior wall of the Iglesia de la Trinidad, along with an anarchist 'A' symbol.
Statue of Virgin Mary Destroyed at the Grotto of Maupas
August 24, 2018, FranceThe acts of vandalism were discovered by a visitor who regularly comes to the grotto of Maupas (a replica of the grotto of Lourdes) to light candles. The face of the statue of the Virgin Mary was completely destroyed. The news spread quickly in the village and left many people dismayed and upset. The president of the association Saint-Ours, one of the organizations that manage the cave, has filed a complaint with the police.
Statue wearing Cross Vandalized
August 24, 2018, FranceA small statue of a woman wearing a cross around her neck carved into a stone wall dating back to the 13th century was defaced. Workers building a bridge discovered the damage, the same day the mayor had ordered protection for the site. The face was completely disfigured and the bust and the cross necklace were marred. The municipality filed a complaint for property damage.
Fire Set in Mühlheim Church
August 23, 2018, GermanyOn the 23rd of August, 2018, the chaplain of the church in Mühlheim discovered that unknown perpetrators had moved an umbrella stand into the vestibule of the church and set a fire in it. However, the fire was immediately extinguished and the only damage was to a carpet in the amount of 150 euros. The police opened an investigation.