All cases
Evangelical Church Dorfkirche Vandalized
March 24, 2020, GermanyIn the afternoon of March 24th, a 43-year-old man broke into the evangelical church Dorfkirche in the district of Karow in Berlin and destroyed the interior. The man climbed up to the organ loft and shouted incomprehensible words, probably in a foreign language. When the police tried to arrest him he pushed them back, threatened them with a wooden plank and went on vandalizing the church. The police reinforcement was finally able to arrest the man and took him to a psychiatric hospital. The reason for this crime is unknown.
The Church in The District of Pankow Vandalized
March 24, 2020, GermanyOn Tuesday 24th March, a 43-year-old man devastated a Church with wooden slats and hit the police officers. The man first damaged the interior of the building and then went to the organ balcony, and shouted incomprehensible words. When the police approached, he hit them with the wooden slat and continued to destroy the church furniture. The officers called reinforcements and were able to arrest the man and took him to a psychiatric hospital.
Religious Statues Stoned by Vandals
March 23, 2020, ItalyAround March 15th, unknown perpetrators stoned the statues of the Virgin Mary and Pope John Paul II placed next to the entrance of the church San Martino in Magnago.
Theft from Church in Mantes-La-Ville
March 23, 2020, FranceWhile France is subject to lockdown measures related to the coronavirus, thieves stole three video projectors and the money collected during Masses from the safe in the church of Sacré-Cœur in Mantes-la-Ville on March 23rd.
Small thefts from the Church of Mantes-la-Ville During the Confinement
March 23, 2020, FranceOn the 23rd of March, unknown thieves stole video projectors and money during the quests. The amount of the theft remains unknown.
Two Churches In Laubenheim Vandalised
March 22, 2020, GermanyTwo window panels and one element at the back window of the protestant church in Laubenheim have been broken. A lead glass element at the Catholic church and a large pane at the community center have been damaged too. The perpetrator had shared the committed crime on Facebook before being arrested by the police. The damage was repaired within two weeks, but the costs were tremendous.
A Historic Chapel in Wachtberg-Werthoven Defaced
March 22, 2020, GermanyAround the 20th March, the Jakobus Chapel in the Village of Wachtberg-Werthhoven was defaced with graffiti by unknown vandals. Hate messages like "ACAB" (All Cops Are Bastards) or "Fuck AfD" were written on the walls and the door. There were also combinations of numbers and other signs. The oak door of the Chapel had been repaired by volunteers the year before. The police started investigating, as similar acts took place in neighbouring villages.
Dąbrowa Górnicza Church Desecrated
March 21, 2020, PolandOn March 21stM a drunk 41-year-old man broke into the church of Dąbrowa Górnicza and profaned the historic altars of Our Lady of the Angels. The man was stopped by priests and put under arrest by the police.
After Arson In 2015 Luther Church Targeted by Criminals Again
March 21, 2020, GermanyIn the night between March 21th and March 22th, unknown perpetrators tried to break into the Luther church in Altena. They were able to unhinge the large and heavy oak door, but the criminal act was disturbed by the security alarm. Nothing was stolen, but the police are investigating and searching for witnesses.
Fire Set in Saint Anna Church
March 21, 2020, GermanyAn unknown person set fire to the seat cushion of a wooden prayer bench in the Catholic Church of Saint Anna in Blieskastel-Biesingen. This incident happened between the evening of March 21st and the afternoon of March 22. The police are investigating and searching for witnesses.
Nativity Figures Stolen from a Church
March 21, 2020, GermanyUnknown perpetrators broke into the Evangelical church on the Ringstraße in Aldekerk, Kerken through a broken window between the evening of March 21st and the morning of the 22nd. They searched several cupboards and stole two nativity figures, before fleeing in an unknown direction. The police are investigating.
Church Window Broken With A Whisky Bottle
March 21, 2020, GermanyAn unknown perpetrator threw a whisky bottle at a window of the protestant church Mainz-Laubenheim and broke it. The police are investigating and searching for witnesses.
Burglary In Catholic Sacristy in Reichenbach-Steegen
March 21, 2020, GermanyBetween Saturday 21th evening and Monday 30th morning unknown thieves stole cash and chalices from the sacristy of the Catholic church in Reichenbach-Steegen. The chalices are sacred and used for holding religious services. The police are investigating and searching for witnesses.
Vandalism of Church in Italy Despite Quarantine
March 20, 2020, ItalyThe coronavirus quarantine did not prevent the vandalism of a church: during the night between March 20th and March 21st, the church of Santa Restituta in Sora was defaced with black and red spray paint.
Chick-fil-A Closes its Reading restaurant
March 20, 2020, United KingdomIn October 2019, the American restaurant Chick-fil-A signed a six-month lease and opened a franchise in The Oracle shopping center in Reading. LGBT protesters promptly began a "Get the Chick Out" boycott campaign, due to the company's previous support of a Christian charity which opposed same-sex marriage. The company indicated that the closure was part of its strategy of opening "pilot license locations“ with limited menus in partnership with local organizations to test the waters while expanding.
Smashed Window Of Family Church
March 19, 2020, IrelandBetween March 19th and March 21thm some children broke the window of the Family church in Youghal into pieces. This act of vandalism is a disappointment for the local community.
Heavy Damage after Break-in at Schwalbach Church
March 19, 2020, GermanyAt around two in the morning on February 19th, two perpetrators broke into a church in Schwalbach am Taunus and leaving at least 5,000 euros in damage. They destroyed a glass pane in the rear area, pried open the main entrance and broke open several doors and cupboards made out of wood and glass. It was unclear whether anything was stolen. A witness reported observing two men fleeing the church (about 1.70 meters tall, Mediterranean looking and darkly dressed). The police are investigating.
Man Arrested for Norway Church Fires
March 19, 2020, NorwayPolice arrested and charged a man in his 20s for a church fire in Dombås and attempted arson at a church in Sel. The man admitted criminal charges. "He has stated as a reason for the actions that he was angry and cursed because [he heard that] a Norwegian man set fire to the Koran without the police having done anything about it," Hedmarken district court wrote in the ruling.
Glasgow: Anti-Catholic Words Hurled at Nurse
March 19, 2020, United KingdomA nurse in Glasgow, was met with the words "f****** Catholic," from the woman she was trying to help. The incident happened at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and was heard of in the Glasgow Sheriff Court.
Swastika Sprayed On Church Walls In Germany
March 18, 2020, GermanyA swastika, various words, and symbols were painted on the walls of the Luther church in Oberfrohna with a sharp point pen and red paint spray between March 18th 7:15 am. and March 19th 1.30 pm. The police are investigating and searching for witnesses.