All cases
Religion Teacher receives Threats
June 15, 2023, PolandOn June 15, 2023, insults and threats were directed at one of the religion teachers at Primary School No. 35 in Toruń, who was organising a series of lessons for children under the slogan "Feel the chemistry of Jesus".
Feminist Group Paints over Fresco of Jesus in Church in Geneva
June 14, 2023, SwitzerlandA group of women desecrated a fresco of Jesus and the apostles on June 14 at the Plainpalais Church in Geneva. The group, called "The Red Tents", gained access to the chapel of the Plainpalais Church. They used pink and purple paint to add women, draw breasts on a saint, and paint male genitals on the fresco. They also painted symbols of Venus and Mars on Christ's dress.
Ciborium with consecrated hosts stolen
June 14, 2023, FranceOn June 14, 2023, a ciborium containing consecrated hosts was stolen from the Notre-Dame church in Rocheservière (Vendée). Parishioners expressed worry over the sacrilegious theft.
Church Guest Book tagged With Satanic Symbols
June 13, 2023, GermanyThe village church in Hiesfeld has been repeatedly vandalized by unknown perpetrators. According to media reports from June 13, vandals have left satanic and offensive symbols in the parish guest book.
Young People Attack Priest and Utter Anti-Christian insults
June 12, 2023, FranceOn June 12th 2023, a "group of young people" attacked Joseph Eid, the rector of the Notre-Dame-du-Liban parish. Shortly after 8 pm a dozen young people allegedly entered the presbytery to retrieve a soccer ball, and were scolded by the priest. The situation seems to have escalated and the priest was violently thrown to the ground, then grabbed by the back of the neck before being helped by witnesses. The assailants then fled, hurling anti-Christian insults.
Forest Shrine near Mielec Vandalised
June 12, 2023, PolandOn 12 June 2023, a Marian shrine on a mountain path in Czerwone Wierchy near Mielec was painted with black paint. Religious objects belonging to the shrine were also vandalised.
Mary Figure Beheaded at Church in Braunton
June 11, 2023, United KingdomVandals took the head off a statute of Mary which stood outside St. Brannock Catholic Church in Braunton. They threw the torso into the consecrated shallow well and wedged her head into a nearby wall. Mrs. Smith-Bingham, who lives close the the church, stated: "I heard some noise on Sunday (June 11), and when my husband went to look, he noticed this had happened (...).The community should be made aware that a religious hate crime has been reported to the police. There has been petty vandalism in the area for the last 18 months or so, but this is on a different scale." Damage was also caused to the church door, and police are investigating the criminal damage.
Church of Saint-Cornély in Carnac Vandalized with Graffiti
June 11, 2023, FranceThe 17th-century church of Saint-Cornély in Carnac was vandalized by unknown perpetrators between the 10th and 11th of June. The church was tagged with blue lettering on the porch that said "Tout raser comme les menhirs" ("Raze everything like the menhirs"), referencing to another historical heritage that had been vandalized earlier that year.
Priest's Chair Stolen from Church in Cransford
June 10, 2023, United KingdomBetween 8 AM on June 9 and the evening of June 10, a Mendlesham Priest Chair was stolen from St. Peter's Church in Cransford. A spokesperon for Suffolk police said: "Local communities are urged to vigilant of any suspicious activity around churches and report anything of conern to the police.
Valuables Stolen from Church in Bournemouth
June 9, 2023, United KingdomA number of distinctive items have been stolen from St. Stephen's Church in Bournemouth, with police releasing a CCTV image of a suspect. The man was seen on the camera footage on June 9 at 9:30 AM. It was reported that he stole a silver sanctuary lamp, a decorative gold palm leaf and a statue of Our Lady of Walsingham. A private area of the church was also broken into and a number of items were damaged. The police have not arrested the man and are continuing their search.
New conversion therapy ban in Iceland affects Religious Freedom of parents
June 9, 2023, IcelandIn line with other European countries, Iceland has approved a ban on conversion therapies for 'sexual orientation,' 'gender expression' and 'gender identity.' The problem arises from the redaction of the new law, that restricts freedom of religion and parental choice. The law does not specify what is considered "conversion therapy", which could lead to the criminalization of harmless spiritual counseling by parents or fellow believers.
UPDATE: Maltese Man On Trial For Statements on His Conversion to Christianity
June 9, 2023, MaltaMatthew Grech, a maltese 33-year-old Christian, had his first Court trial on Friday 9th of June. He is being prosecuted on the grounds of "breaching the Affirmation of Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Gender Expression Act" and promoting "conversion therapy". He could face a prison sentence of up to five months and fines from 1,000 to 5,000 Euro. In the program, aired in April 2022, Grech shared his experience as a homosexual and how he found Christianity, which changed his life forever. Grech did not invite or encourage listeners to undergo any form of "conversion therapy".
Many Injured After Car Driver Rammed Through the Corpus Christi Procession in Warsaw
June 8, 2023, PolandOn June 8, during the Corpus Christi procession in Ursynów, an Audi driver rammed his car through the procession, hitting and injuring people. The police are investigating the event.
Church of Saint Roch defaced and robbed
June 8, 2023, FranceDuring the night of 8 to 9 June, the church of Saint Roch in Ajaccio was defaced with obscene tags and religious objects were stolen. Among the stolen objects are a wooden cross covered in gold leaf and a statue of St John the Baptist.
Orthodox Centre in Hincesti devastated by vandals
June 7, 2023, MoldovaIn a vandalism attack on the Orthodox Centre in Hîncești on June 7, furniture, doors, windows, as well as icons and religious textbooks were destroyed. The perpetrators even set some books on fire.
Devastation of a roadside shrine
June 5, 2023, PolandOn the night of January 5-6, 2023, a twenty-two-year-old man vandalised a roadside shrine in Uście Solne in the commune of Szczurowa. The perpetrator took out the statue of the Mary from the niche of the shrine and smashed it on the road surface.
Church in Southern France Desecrated
June 3, 2023, FranceOn June 3, the sacristan of the Chuch of Mailhac discovered that the place of worship had been vandalized. Many candles lay broken on the floor, and there are clear signs that someone had tried to open the trunk. The sacristan had already filed a complaint for the destruction of candles in the past. As a consequence of this act, the church has been closed for an indefinite time. The Ginestas gendarmerie was informed on the same day, and a complaint had been filed.
Baptist pastor arrested and fined in Brest for preaching on the street
June 2, 2023, BelarusOn June 2, Vladimir Burshtyn was arrested and taken to trial after having been preaching in the street in Drahichyn the day before. The law enforcers told his wife that the reason for the arrest was the "organisation of mass events". He was fined 555 Belarusian rubles, over a month's average pension in the country.
Thieves Smash Window and Steal Candlestick from Sussex Church
June 2, 2023, United KingdomA suspect entered St. Mary the Virgin Church in Littlehampton, Sussex the night between June 1 and June 2. Damage was caused to a window and a candlestick was stolen. Officers attended the scene and an investigation is now underway.
Case opened over the the Burning of a Cross in La Coruña
June 1, 2023, SpainOn June 1st, the provincial prosecutor's office of La Coruña opened a case over the burning of a cross in La Toleira of Neda, following a complaint by the organisation of Christian Lawyers. The lawyers' organization indicates that BNG (Galician nationalist party) members were responsible for the incident. They are being charged with possible hate crimes, offending religious feelings, offending historical heritage and illegal demonstrations. The Prosecutor's Office is asking the police to identify those involved in the reported act and the person(s) responsible for the fire.
Mayor tears down memorial cross two days after losing elections
May 31, 2023, SpainThe mayor of Barrado, a town in the province of Caceres, tore down the cross dedicated to the 'fallen' of the Spanish Civil War on May 31, after having lost the municipal elections two days before. The politician, a member of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), justifies his decision on the 'Democratic Memory Law' but the foundation Abogados Cristianos considers it an attack on Christians and is considering legal action.
Vandalism with rubbish and excrement at Church in Lucerne
May 30, 2023, SwitzerlandOn the 30th of May, the online news site Kath.ch reported that the front of St. Luke's Church in Lucerne, had been vandalised by people leaving rubbish and excrement.
Virgin Mary Statue Beheaded in Corsica
May 29, 2023, FranceA statue of Our Lady of Lavasina installed on the seafront of Ajaccio in Corsica was found decapitated on May 29th. The statue was used in processions in the parish of Saint-Jean-Baptiste in Ajaccio. This is the fourth act of anti-Christian vandalism on Corsica in recent months. In April, a statuette of the Virgin Mary by Petit Capo beach was found vandalised, as well as a make-shift altar at a scout camp in Vero. A cross in Sisco was also decapitated that month.
French Church Desecrated in Cugnaux Village
May 28, 2023, FranceOn Sunday May 28, individuals broke into the church and carried out various acts of vandalism and damage to the place of worship. They tried to set fire to the church, also all the candles were knocked over, a crucifix was damaged and paintings were broken. The mayor, Albert Sanchez, strongly condemned this act of violence. In this context, local representatives called for a peaceful gathering in front of Cugnaux town hall (near the church), on May 31 at 6:30 pm to condemn all acts of violence against places of worship.
Man attacks and insults priest in Wrocław
May 28, 2023, PolandOn 28 May 2023, a man of about 30 years of age physically attacked and insulted a priest in Wroclaw. The attack took place in the morning as the priest was returning to the vicarage from the convent of the Albertine Sisters, located near the parish church of St Maurice in Wroclaw.
Church walls smeared during "Equality March"
May 27, 2023, PolandOn May 27, 2023, participants of a local "Equality March" taking place in Gdańsk spray-painted inscriptions on the facade of the historic St. Elizabeth Church in Gdańsk.
Free speech and rule of law under threat in Ireland’s new "hate offences" bill
May 26, 2023, IrelandOn April 26, the lower house of the Irish Parliament passed what could be the most extreme hate speech law in Europe, with critics saying that it is in fact a 'thought crime' bill. The text of the bill makes the possession of material considered 'hateful' against certain groups a crime punishable with jail, and the burden of proof is shifted to the accused, who is expected to prove they didn't intend to use the material to "spread hate".
Attempted Theft and Assaults on three Christians
May 26, 2023, SpainOn 26 May 2023, a man was arrested after attempting to steal a chalice, and assaulting three parishioners in the Church of San James Apostle, in the city of Orihuela.
Graveyard and Church Defaced in Blackfairs Walk
May 25, 2023, United KingdomVandals targeted the Auld Kirk of Ayr in Blackfriars Walk on the evening of May 25. Grave stones were painted, rude imagery was drawn over stained glass windows and profanity was written on an iron gate. Historic stonework, as well as a welcome sign featuring a picture of King Charles III was vandalized with red spray paint. The incident is being investigated by Ayr Police.
Church Painting Damaged through vandalism
May 25, 2023, GermanyAn oil painting inside the St Gerhard's Church in Heiligenstadt was damaged by unknown perpetrators. According to the Nordhausen police, the crime took place on the 25th of May. The vandals poured the liquid wax of a burning candle from the offering box onto the painting.
Four churches targeted by vandals and thieves and one cemetery vandalised
May 24, 2023, FranceIn May 2023, four churches and a cemetery were targeted by vandals and thieves in France.
Update: Landmark Case Bans Christian Teacher for Misgendering a Transgender Pupil
May 23, 2023, United KingdomOn May 23rd, a ruling by the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) in the UK banned Christian Joshua Sutcliffe from teaching altogether, after he failed to treat his pupils "with dignity and respect" by misgendering a transgender boy. This case is the first of its kind in the UK and has become international news. It goes back to 2017, when the former maths teacher at the Cherwell School in Oxford, said "well done girls" to a group of girls, where one was a transgender boy - and he later apologized. Sutcliffe was later also accused of inappropriately sharing his Christian beliefs.
Vandals locked out Priest and Vandalize his Church
May 23, 2023, PolandIn Malnia, near Gogolin on May 23rd, unknown perpetrators blocked the door to the rectory to prevent the parish priest from intervening and destroyed a statue of Mary, a statue of St. Anthony, and damaged the interior of the church. The losses made by the perpetrators were estimated at several thousand zlotys.
Vandalism and Physical Violence in Wolgast Church
May 22, 2023, GermanyOn May 22, a heavily intoxicated couple caused vandalism and violence in the St. Peter's Church in Wolgast. They couple forcibly cleared the book table and injured a visitor.
Santiago Cathedral Defaced with Graffiti
May 20, 2023, SpainThe Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela is an internationally renowned place of pilgrimage. On May 20, a graffiti displaying a penis was smeared on the cathedral’s west façade, which then got covered with a tarpaulin for cleaning purposes.
British Man Admits Plotting to Murder Street Evangelist Hatun Tash
May 19, 2023, United KingdomA 21-year-old British man, Edward Little, has pleaded guilty to preparing to commit acts of terrorism in an attack against the evangelist Hatun Tash in 2022. Little was found carrying £5,000, with which he planned to buy a firearm to kill Hatun Tash at the Speaker's Corner, a place for public debates where she frequently debates and preaches. He refused the allegations at first, but on the May 19, 2023 he admitted to planning the murder back on September 23, 2022.
Vandals Pour Red Paint Inside the Walls of a French Church
May 19, 2023, FranceOn May 19, between 3:00 and 7:00 p.m., unknown perpetrators entered the church Notre-Dame des Grâces in Revel without being detected. Once inside, they poured red paint on the walls. A depiction of Christ on the cross, a pyrographed painting of the Virgin and Child, candles and the altar were also vandalized with paint. On a wall, the word "proteste" (unclear form in French) was also written in red. The mayor considers closing the church outside worship hours due to this incident. The same happening had already taken place on May 1st, with the same acts and the word "protest" written on a wall with red paint. Back in 2018, the church in Revel had been attacked with arson.
Citizen arrested in Madrid for praying in front of an abortion clinic
May 17, 2023, SpainOn May 17, a citizen who was silently praying in front of the Dator abortion clinic in Madrid was arrested by the Spanish national police. The arrest comes as a result of the entry into force of the reform of the Spanish Criminal Code last year, which punishes praying in front of abortion clinics as it considers it 'harassment to women.'
An Exhibition in Memory of John Paul II Vandalized in Gdansk
May 17, 2023, PolandIn the Polish city of Gdansk, a Solidarity exhibition dedicated to St John Paul II before the Solidarity building in Gdansk, was vandalized on May 17. The CCTV footage shows five people destroying the exhibition boards with the Holy Father John Paul II. The crime was reported to the police.
Evangelical Church seized in Occupied Ukraine
May 16, 2023, UkraineOn Tuesday the 16th of April, Russian forces seized the Ukrainian Christian Evangelical Church of the Holy Trinity in Mariupol. According to a US NGO, it is "part of a wider systematic religious persecution campaign in occupied Ukraine." More generally: many Ukrainian pastors said they had been arrested and tortured by Russian soldiers, with one saying that the troops were directed to "kill all the Christian pastors who are not part of the Russian Orthodox Church."
St Cordula Church Closed due to Repetitive Vandalism
May 16, 2023, BelgiumThe Church of St Cordula in Schoten has announced that the doors will be kept closed, due to several cases of vandalism. The place of worship used to be open during the day. In the last vandalism case, candle wax was poured on the floor and smeared on chairs and carpets. A burnt smell shows that paper might also have been burnt.
Vandalism at Haarala cemetery
May 16, 2023, FinlandAt the end of April, the Puskaradio Facebook group reported that vandalism had been committed at Haarala Cemetery. One post revealed that a hatch of a candle holder had been ripped off one of the gravestones, and similar acts had been committed on other graves.
Bavarian Police Identify Growing Trend of Anti-Christian Hate Crime
May 15, 2023, GermanyChurches in Bavaria are targeted by vandals with increased frequency. The Bavarian State Criminal Police Office (LKA) registered 294 cases of damage to property in churches, chapels, or monasteries last year - 23 more than in 2021 (271). According to the information, the trend has been increasing in recent years. In 2019, the LKA still counted 219 cases, and the following year it was 242. According to a spokesman of the Catholic diocese of Regensburg there are: "For example, figures of saints were destroyed or damaged, people smoked and urinated in church rooms, church walls were smeared or fires were set inside the church."
Vandals Destroy a Shrine and Smash Statues
May 14, 2023, PolandOn the night of May 13 to 14, the chapel in the Grotto of the White Mountains in Łaskarzew was vandalised. The statues of the Mary, Saint Bernadette and the image of Merciful Jesus were destroyed in the act.
Teacher dismissed for 'hate speech' after being encouraged to share his Christian beliefs
May 12, 2023, United KingdomA teacher in Wales, Ben Dybowski, was encouraged to express his Christian beliefs at a seminar and was subsequently fired for "hate speech", according to the Daily Mail. The school claims that there is no evidence that his assignment was ended on the basis of his religious beliefs. The teacher said that he was prompted to share his opinions during a mandatory training session organised by the charity Diverse Cymru to instruct teachers on "workforce diversity practice, unconscious bias and gender awareness." He later commented that: "We were told it was a safe space and encouraged to speak freely."
Organ Pipes Stolen From Sussex Church
May 12, 2023, United KingdomOrgan pipes were stolen and the organ of the St John The Divine Church in Patching, England, was damaged on the night of the May 12 to 13, 2023. The theft is expected to cost thousands of pounds to repair or replace.
Russian Individuals Raid the cathedral of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Crimea
May 11, 2023, UkraineOn May 11th, the Ukrainian newspaper Korrespondent.net reported: "The invaders are removing the property of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, but such actions are not explained in any way and no one was warned about the "raid". Russian occupants are looting and destroying the cathedral of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (PCU) in temporarily occupied Simferopol. The invaders broke down the doors of the temple, destroy and steal the property of the Ukrainian church." One of the leaders of this "raid" is Novikov Evgeny Nikolaevich - "the Moscow bailiff who manages the seizure of the PCU temple in Crimea". The Russian individuals did not explain their actions and no one warned the representatives of the religious community and church officials about the "raid".”
Death threats and Assaults at Bible stall in Vienna
May 9, 2023, AustriaChristian missionary Lahzy Mahfonz Hefzalla Girgis has regularly installed a Christian book table in different districts of Vienna, where he distributes bibles to those interested. He reported receiving death threats and being physically assaulted because of his message that “Jesus is God”. On May 5, 2023, his bookstall was surrounded and attacked by a mob and bibles were stolen.
Arson Attack to a Spanish Church in Vitoria
May 9, 2023, SpainSome people have tried to cause a fire in the church of Santa María de los Ángeles. This criminal act occurred on Tuesday, May 9 around 4:00 pm in Vitoria, while the church was closed. Perpetrators sprayed gasoline at the main entrance of the church. The fire burned a billboard and the church entrance, which they left darkened and dirty. The criminals fled, but thanks to the images from the church's security cameras, the police were able to identify them.
Man Arrested After He desecrated and vandalized an Austrian Church
May 8, 2023, AustriaOn the 9th of May, the Police of Salzburg have arrested a man who hurled a bottle of red wine he had brought with full force against the high altar on Monday morning in the parish church of Schwarzach im Pongau. Thus, two altar lights were knocked over and the offering table and brickwork were contaminated by the wine. The man had entered the church loudly ranting and gesticulating aggressively and spat at a statue of Christ. The man - a Czech citizen who is banned from staying in Austria - was filmed in the church by two video cameras.