All cases
Three acts of Vandalism to Churches in a Belgian Village
April 22, 2023, BelgiumIn April 2023, two acts of vandalism were committed in the church of Saint-Rémy de Profondeville (province of Namur): On 22 April, two large statues of Saint Joseph and Saint Anthony were thrown off their pedestals and smashed to the ground. A vase on a side altar was also smashed. A few days earlier, a small statue of the Virgin Mary had been torn from its pedestal and carried away.
Damages at Church in Beccles
April 22, 2023, United KingdomSt. Michael's Church in Beccles was targeted by vandals who damaged stones and moved fences. Suffolk Police said the incident occurred at some point between April 17 and 22. Damage was caused to the stonework, including to the patio terrace slabs, and safety fences were moved that were in position to safeguard and protect an area on the ground where loose stone masonry may fall from the church. The police closed the case pending further investigative opportunities. No arrests were made and no suspects were identified.
Protestant Church in Austria Target of Vandalism
April 20, 2023, AustriaOn Thursday 20th of April, the Protestant Kreuzkirche in Graz was targeted by vandals. The Austrian police were able to catch one of the perpetrators. The witness Christine Pfau was working inside the church when the attack occurred. She was preparing everything for the next service when she heard a sound noice and saw a colored smoke through the windows. The Vandals had smeared the walls, the pillars and the church doors with about 15 spray cans, scraps of smoke and paint bombs and left even more rubbish lying on the floor.
Statues stolen from three roadside shrines
April 18, 2023, PolandOn April 18, 2023, local media reported the theft of a statue of Mary from a roadside shrine in Szymanów Thefts of figurines from roadside shrines occurred in this region three times in one month (in Mokre, Szymanów and Jusaki-Zarzecka).
St Michael's Church vandalized in Suffolk
April 17, 2023, United KingdomBetween April 17 and 22, the St Michael's Church in Beccles was vandalised. Perpetrators caused damage to the masonry, to the stonework, including to the patio terrace slabs, and safety fences were moved. The Suffolk police was informed and are looking for the perpetrators.
Minsk: Seven people fined for talking about Easter in the Street
April 15, 2023, BelarusOn April 15, seven young men were fined for talking about Easter in a public street in the city centre of Minsk. The individuals, who were all Protestant, were approached by police and told that they were violating the law by "conducting missionary activities without a permit." The police fined each one about 2 months' average wages, reports Forum 18.
Statue of Mary beheaded in chapel
April 15, 2023, PolandOn 15 April 2023, a Baroque statue of the Virgin Mary from a chapel behind the church on Czerniakowska Street in Warsaw was destroyed. The perpetrator ripped the figure from its pedestal and tore off the statue's head.
Baptist Pastor Fined for “illegal missionary work” in Bryansk
April 14, 2023, RussiaOn April 14, in the Russian city of Bryansk, the Volodarskiy Magistrates' District Court penalized the pastor of the "First Church of Evangelical Christians Baptists of Bryansk" for engaging in "illegal" missionary work. He was charged with "introducing 'modern' ways of communicating in line with 'Western standards'."
Vandalism of a Cross And Jesus Figure Stolen in a small German City
April 14, 2023, GermanyOn April 14 in Menden, near Dortmund, unknown persons have tampered with the missionary cross on the church square of the Holy Cross Church. They broke off the Jesus figure and stole it. The police is looking for witnesses.
Explosives used to steals thousands of pounds of sacred silver
April 14, 2023, United KingdomTens of thousands of pounds worth of chalices and sacred items have been stolen from the Lady Saint Mary's Church in Wareham after thefts broke into the church and blew up the safe on April 14. Explosives were used for the break-in and at least 25 pieces of communion silver, including a 450-year-old Elizabethan chalice worth 30,000 pounds, were stolen. The police suspects this gang of thieves has been targeting churches across the UK.
Far-left protesters set fire to Convent of the Jacobins
April 14, 2023, FranceOn 14 April, radical far-left anti-government protesters set fire to the 14th century Jacobin monastery in Rennes, France. They also set fire to the police headquarters.
Windows of Chapel in Częstochowa broken
April 14, 2023, PolandOn the night of April 13-14, 2023, an unknown perpetrator vandalised one of the chapels on the "Way of the Blood of Christ" in Częstochowa. The vandal smashed the glass in the window and door of the chapel.
Sainte Matron Orthodox Church set on Fire
April 13, 2023, UkraineOn April 13, 3 days before the Orthodox Easter, the Orthodox Church of St. Matrona, in the village of Gouta Mezhigorskaya near Kiev, was set on fire.
Two churches severely vandalised in Angers region
April 12, 2023, FranceOn the April 12, 2023, the rector of the Sainte-Madeleine Church in Angers found his church devastated: seven statues had been beheaded or amputated, the altar was vandalized, and many crosses were too. Mr. Verchère, Mayor of the city, and Mr. Darmanin, Minister of the Interior condemned the degradation. On the 18. April, a 40-year-old with criminal records named Brahim was arrested by the police, he was also taken to a hospital for psychiatric examination.
30 Gravestones Vandalized In Church Cemetery near London
April 12, 2023, United KingdomOver three nights on April 12, 13, and 14, in Croydon, thirty gravestones have been destroyed with a sledgehammer - some graves were dating back 500 years, at a Grade I listed church. «The church is appealing for witnesses along with police who are trying to find out who took a sledgehammer to the graves. »
Statuette of Mary Damaged in Ajaccio
April 12, 2023, FranceA statue of Mary, set up eight years ago by the residents of Sevani or Petit Capo beach in Ajaccio was found vandalised on April 12th, 2023. The flowers, the pots which contained them and the candles surrounding the statue were stolen and the statue was tipped aside. This is the first incident in a row of recent anti-Christian vandalisation on Corsica.
Cross Stolen from Church in Burstall
April 11, 2023, United KingdomA 60-90cm Victorian cross and a 45cm lectern have been stolen from a locked vestry at St Mary's Church, Burstall. The theft took place between 9 and 11 April. No arrests have been made and Suffolk Police are still searching for the stolen items.
Destruction of the papal exhibition in Gdańsk
April 10, 2023, PolandOn the night of April 10-11, 2023, a group of young people (two 16-year-olds and one 18-year-old) vandalized an exhibition documenting the relations between "Solidarity" and John Paul II, located at the headquarters of "Solidarity" in Gdańsk. Vandals damaged outdoor boards with infographics about John Paul II.
Belgian Pastor Publicly Defamed and Church Vandalized
April 9, 2023, BelgiumOn the 9th of April, at night, unknown people wrote with white paint "Pa Pedophil" (paedophile pastor) on the evangelical Church of Jemelle. Pastor Grégory Zieleniec received a hateful letter in his mailbox "pedophil en liberté. Il s'agit du pasteur grégory zieleniec" (Free paedophile. This is Pastor Gregory Zieleniec). The Pastor has filed a complaint for insult, vandalism and defamation.
Man on Trial for Extortion of a Priest and Theft from a Church
April 9, 2023, ItalyLorenzo Cerquetta, 43, from Recanati, is on trial at the Court of Macerata accused of theft and extortion against the parish priest of the Church of San Flavino. The man from Recanati blackmailed the priest into giving him 200 euros under the threat of setting fire to the church. On April 9, 2023 he furthermore stole 240 euros from the priest's drawer.