All cases

Insulting Graffiti on Saint Birgitta's and Blessed Hemming's Church and Synagogue in Turku

January 24, 2020, Finland

On the night of 23 to 24 the St. Brigitta's and Blessed Hemming's Church was spray-painted with slogans stating: "Stop hiding the pedophiles" and "Liars" in black and red paint. This is the second time this year that the church has been attacked with graffiti. The incident was reported to the police. The next week, the Jewish synagogue in Turku was also vandalised with red paint bombs. The 27th of January is the day of remembrance for the victims of the Holocaust.

Chapel Destroyed with Fire Extinguisher

January 22, 2020, Germany

On January 22nd, an unknown perpetrator destroyed the prayer room of the Christuskirche in Lüdenscheid using a fire extinguisher. He entered the chapel between 4:00 and 6:00 in the afternoon, when it was open to the general public, and sprayed the contents of the fire extinguisher all over the floor, walls, and furniture. The damage is estimated at approximately 500 euros. The local police are looking for witnesses to this incident, described as a "special case of senseless destructive rage."

Wales: Parents Lose Right to Withdraw Children from Sex Ed

January 21, 2020, United Kingdom

Following plans first proposed in a government consultation last year, parents of children attending Welsh schools will no longer have a legal right to withdraw their children from compulsory relationships and sex education (RSE), as well as and religious education (RE) classes.

Degradations of the Church of Notre Dame in Le Quesnoy

January 21, 2020, France

Three people were arrested, after they vandalized the Church Notre Dame de l'Assomption in Le Quesnoy on the 21st of January. The vandals destroyed chairs, turned over crosses and damaged the statue of Christ on the Cross, among other things.

"Parental Pin" Policy Prompts Legal Action and Debate in Spain

January 20, 2020, Spain

A new policy aimed at affirming parental authority in Spanish schools in Murcia has made national headlines in the country. The so-called 'Parental Pin' would oblige schools in the autonomous region of Murcia to seek the permission of parents for student participation in extra-curricular activities, including lessons and workshops on LGBT issues given by external speakers.

Painting Stolen from La Chappelle-Haute-Grue Church

January 20, 2020, France

In December 2019, a painting was stolen from La Chappelle-Haute-Grue Church. The mayor of Val-de-Vie, Jean-Paul Saint-Martin, and by Claude Adam de Boever, deputy mayor of La Chapelle-Haute-Grue filed a complaint. The investigation is ongoing.

Thirty-Four Security video Installed in Saint-Martin d’Abbat

January 20, 2020, France

At the end of 2020, thirty-four cameras have been installed in the municipality of Saint-Martin d’Abbat. The cameras have been installed in sixteen main sites to prevent material damages. The sites include the church, the stadium, the city entrances, the garbage sites, and the town center. These cameras would protect the buildings from vandalism or any other type of violence and damages

Antifascist Grafitti on Le Mans Church

January 19, 2020, France

Civic group Protège ton église documented graffiti reading "FACHOS NOT WELCOME" sprayed on the church Saint Benoît au Mans during the weekend of January 19th.

Eight Churches and Two Schools Hit By Vandalism in Bordeaux over Weekend

January 19, 2020, France

Eight churches and two Catholic educational establishments were vandalized with graffiti in Bordeaux and Talence during the night between January 18th to 19th. The churches affected were: Notre-Dame, Saint-Eloi, Sainte-Croix, Sainte Eulalie, Saint-Seurin, Sacré-Coeur, and Saint-Paul in Bordeaux, the church of Notre-Dame de Talence and on the Catholic educational establishments of Albert le Grand and Saint-Genès in Bordeaux. The offensive tags, referring to pedophilia in the Church and to the bioethics bill, all had the same signature.

Bus Filled with Catholic Pilgrims Attacked by Masked Protesters

January 19, 2020, France

A bus filled with Catholics bound for Pontmain was prevented from leaving the diocesan house in Caen by approximately twenty masked people in black holding a banner and shooting paintball pellets at the windshield. A spokesman for the diocese explained that the protestors likely confused the pilgrimage bus for one bound for Paris for a Manif pour Tous demonstration. This was the second time in a few months that a pilgrimage bus was attacked after being mistaken for a Manif pour Tous bus.