All cases
Theft and Vandalism in Church of Coswig
October 15, 2020, GermanyUnknown perpetrators forcefully broke into a Church in Coswig during the night of October 15th and stole two silver-plated candlesticks, which are estimated to have a value of 5.000 Euros. Apart from the theft the vandalism is estimated to have caused a damage of an additional 2.00 Euros. The police is investigating.
Midnight Fire at St. Matthew's Church Treated as Arson
October 15, 2020, United KingdomIn the early morning of October 15th, a rescue team was called because the St. Matthew's Church in Derby was burning. The facade and the shed of the church suffered most of the damage. There have been another three attacks with arson in Derby in October: On the church in Quarndorn and two schools, the police has not yet found any evidence that would link these cases. The police is investigating.
Historical Church of San Giacomo Spray-Painted Again
October 14, 2020, ItalyOn the 14th of October, the wall of the Church San Giacomo in Tarquinia was vandalised again by unknown person with spray paint. The citizens are very outraged and demand the installation of security cameras for this church from the 8th century, which is a historical heritage. The building has already a fence, because of similar problems in the past.
Mayor Prevented the Blessing of a School Bus
October 14, 2020, ItalyIn the Municipality of Bibiana, the mayor, Fabio Rossetto, prevented the parish priest of the village to bless a new school bus. He said that the vehicle is ‘secular’ and therefore, does not need the consecration. This issue has raised controversy in the town of Turin.
Government Announced Ban on Conversion Therapies
October 14, 2020, FranceAs requested by associations for the protection of LGBT groups, the government sought to ban conversion therapies. This has been included in the bill on separatism. Several deputies, including Laurence Vanceunebrock-Mialon, claim that conversion therapies are ‘dangerous’ religious practices.
Priest Stolen During a Funeral Ceremony
October 13, 2020, GermanyOn Tuesday 13th October, an unknown person stole the Laptop from a priest, who held a funeral at the cemetery Chapel on Annaberg in Rheinberg. The Computer was on a table covered with a notebook inside the Chapel, then the priest went outside with the other guests for the funeral. When he came back, the Computer was missing. The police are investigating.
Vandalism at Reformed Church in Voorthuizen
October 13, 2020, NetherlandsOn the 11th of October, the Reformed Church in Voorthuizen was vandalised by unknown perpetrators. The CCTV cameras have captured the suspects, and the police is running an investigation and asking for witnesses.
Arson and Vandalism at Saint-Michel's Chapel
October 13, 2020, BelgiumDuring the night of October 13th, the Saint-Michel's chapel was vandalised and burnt down by unknown perpetrators. The interior of the church was set on fire, causing damage on the walls. The police of the Flémalle area was alerted.
More Churches in England Added to The List "Heritage at Risk" Due To Criminal Attacks On Churches
October 12, 2020, United KingdomIn the Year 2020 until now, 90 places of worship have been added to the "Historic England’s Heritage at Risk" register, while only 69 are being taken off. The organisation says this is a New trend they hope will not become the rule. Almost half of the churches are being added because of crimes and thefts of church roofs, which have increased in recent years.
Church in the Isle of Man Vandalised
October 12, 2020, United KingdomDuring the night of October 12th, the Port Erin Methodist Church in the Isle of Man was damaged by unknown vandals. The rear window was broken. The police is investigating and asking the residents for further information.
10 Meters of Graffiti With Unconstitutional Symbols on Church Walls
October 11, 2020, GermanyDuring the last days before the 11th October, the Kreuzkirche in Eisenach was smeared with symbols of unconstitutional organizations by unknown perpetrators. The vandals sprayed three walls over a total length of around ten meters. The period of the crime is still unclear, but the criminal investigation department has started investigations to find relevant information.
Vandalism with Satanic Symbols on Church in Cyprus
October 11, 2020, CyprusOn the night of 11. October, unknown perpetrators sprayed icons, crosses and the church doors of the greek-orthodox Church of Mitseros with Satanic symbols like pentagrams and upside-down crosses. The leader of the village community suspects that the perpetrators could be the same as the ones who started a fire in the church one year ago. The investigations by the police are still ongoing.
Intended Break-In Into Two Churches
October 11, 2020, GermanyDuring the night of 11th to 12th October, two churches were targeted in Burgstädt and Taura. In Burgstädt, unknown perpetrators damaged the town church by the attempt to break-in. Also, on Friday, it was reported that one door had already been forced without success. The damage made goes up to a thousand euros. The second church was on the main street in Taura, where also unknown persons tried to break in, leaving a property damage worth several euros. The Police is investigating both cases.
Suspected Arson in Saint-Laon Church
October 11, 2020, FranceOn 11th October, a fire broke out the church of Saint-Laon in Thouars. The motives remain unknown. The fire required the intervention of the firemen. Fortunately, the paintings have not been damaged, but the stones were blackened by the smoke. The police opened an investigation.
Burglary inside Church and "Heil Satan" Sprayed On Church Door
October 11, 2020, GermanyOn the days between 11. and 14. October, a group of unknown persons broke into a church in Altenburg and vandalized it. The vandals forced the back door open to enter, they also broke an intermediate door open. They did not steal anything from the church but they left an inscription saying "Heil Satan" and "666" on the door, referring to the number of the devil. The damage is estimated to be of several thousand Euros.
Repeated Acts of Vandalism and Desecration at Church of St. Peter and Paul in Steinhofen
October 11, 2020, GermanyThe parish church of St. Peter and Paul in Steinhofen has been devastated inside and outside several times. During the night of October 11th the church was vandalized again. The exterior wall of the church was smeared with paint, the flowers and a sign were torn out of the ground and glass bottles were smashed in the forecourt of the church. The sacristan discovered the damage the next day. The parish has reported the crime and has publicly asked for witnesses.
Pride Parade in France Leads to Anti-Christian Attacks
October 10, 2020, FranceOn the 10th of October, during the Gay Pride Parade in La Roche sur Yon, anti-Christian attacks took place. The ICES, which is a catholic institute that has been criticized before as homophobic, was guarded by the police, while people held signs saying "Blow up the ICES", depicting Jesus in a rainbow background and other direct statements against the church. The mayor of La Roche sur Yon also attended the parade and did not react to the anti-Christian statements or attacks.
Theft of Sacred Objects from Church in Erkelenz
October 10, 2020, GermanyIn the village of Erkelenz, thieves stole gold-plated sacred objects from a church. The police stated that the objects were probably stolen for ideational reasons, more than for the monetary worth of the two chalices, a chalice bowl for the hosts and a monstrance. The break-in and theft happened between the 10th of October and the first week of November. There is an ongoing investigation.
Burglars Break Into a Church in Naples and Vandalise it
October 9, 2020, ItalyOn the 9th of October, a group of unknown vandals broke into the church Santa Croce al Mercato and caused a lot of damage. The Carabinieri intervened and the technicians of the municipality are estimate the damage. The entrance fence was opened by force and the marble was unhinged from the seat, some brass knobs that held marble plaques were also stolen. The Carabinieri think it was a vandal raid. Inside the sacristy some books have been damaged and some relics are missing.
Vulgar Graffiti Sprayed on the Walls of St. Stephen Chapel
October 9, 2020, PolandIn the evening of October 9th, an unknown vandal painted two vulgar inscriptions in front of the chapel of the St. Stephen's parish. The police are investigating.