All cases
Fires Set in Tyrol Church; Witnesses Sought by Police
July 23, 2020, AustriaWould-be arsonists started a fire in the parish church in Waidring (Kitzbühel district) on July 23rd. According to police, between 12 p.m. and 5 p.m., unknown perpetrators distributed and lit several matchboxes, matches, and candles on the church pews. In addition, they tried to set fire to a hymn book, presumably using matches. Around 5:15 p.m., a witness noticed the smell of fire in the church, but the fire had already gone out. There was a similar incident on Monday, July 20th: according to investigators, burning ignition wicks had been placed on the kneelers of the church pews.
Life Sentence for IS Supporter's Bomb Plot on St. Paul's Cathedral
July 3, 2020, United KingdomOn July 3rd, Muslim convert Safiyya Amira Shaikh was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 14 years in jail for plotting a bomb attack on St. Paul's Cathedral London and a suicide bomb attack on the nearby underground station. Shaikh admitted the crime and showed no remorse; she wanted to kill as many "kufars" (unbelievers) as possible.
British MP Receives Death Threat after Voting against Abortion Law
June 30, 2020, United KingdomIn June, a British MP received a death threat and other online abuse after voting in accordance with her pro-life convictions. Dr Lisa Cameron, SNP MP for East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow, was sent the threat just days after voting against a pro-abortion bill, which limits support/protest near abortion clinics.
Suspected Arson at San Girolamo Church in Rimini
June 29, 2020, ItalyOn June 29th, firefighters were called to the San Girolamo Church in the city of Rimini shortly after 3:30 in the afternoon. A pedestrian reported smoke emanating from the storage room of the church building where old furniture and plastic chairs formed the basis for the fire. Fortunately, the firefighting team was able to quell the blaze. A forensics team investigated whether the fire had been intentionally set, noting that nothing indicated that short circuits or similar faults were the cause of the fire.
Attempted Arson at Rennes Cathedral
June 12, 2020, FranceDuring the night from the 11th to 12th of June, Rennes firefighters intervened to extinguish an intentionally-set fire in front of a door of the Saint-Pierre cathedral in Rennes. A trash bin, placed just in front of the door located at the back of the building, on Rue Saint-Sauveur, was set on fire. According to the first impressions from the investigation, this was a voluntary act because the bin was brought from an adjacent street and deliberately placed outside the door.
Fire Set in Bockhorst Church
June 4, 2020, GermanyUnknown perpetrators set fire to an altar cloth and an organ book in the Maria von der immerwährenden Hilfe (Our Lady of Perpetual Help) church in Bockhorst at around 5:00 p.m. on May 29th. The fire was extinguished promptly by the person who discovered the fire. Property damage of several thousand euros was incurred.
Repeated Arson at Church An Maria Waldrast in Krefeld
May 16, 2020, GermanyOn May 16th, unknown perpetrators set fire to the memorial altar in the church An Maria Waldrast in Krefeld. Previous arson attempts had been reported to the police in February and March 2020. The police are investigating and suspects an intentional arson. A volunteer at the church discovered the fire and was able to extinguish it with another witness. There was no damage and no one was injured.
Afghan Asylum Seeker Arrested after Threatening to "Slit Christians' Throats"
April 26, 2020, BelgiumA Muslim migrant from Afghanistan was arrested on April 26th after he made serious threats against the employees of the asylum center in Helchteren. The 24-year-old man also said he wanted to 'slit Christians' throats' and would blow himself up to kill as many Christians as possible. The police had responded to the center earlier in the week when the man refused to wash his hands in compliance with the coronavirus regulations, claiming that there was alcohol in the soap and therefore he would not use it during Ramadan. That incident escalated when the man began coughing and spitting at people around him.
Attempted Arson and Vandalism at Christchurch in Graz-Eggenberg
April 8, 2020, AustriaAn unknown perpetrator smashed the window of Christ Church in Graz with a stone and then set newspapers on fire and threw them inside the church through the smashed window. Fortunately, the burning newspapers did not cause a fire inside the church. Witnesses saw the incident and reported it to the police, who asked for help in finding the perpetrator.
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.
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.
Arson at Historic Church of Saint-Apollinaire
March 16, 2020, FranceOn March 16th, unidentified perpetrators set fire to the church Saint-Apollinaire built in the 12th century in Meximieux in eastern France. The fire was extinguished by local firefighters and police arrested the arsonists, but still the church will be closed to the public until further notice.
Bible set on fire in Krefeld Church
March 6, 2020, GermanyOn March 6th, fires were set in the Catholic church Maria Waldrast in Krefeld. Between 10:00 and 6:00 p.m. someone set fire to a bible under a prayer bench in the nave of the church, as well as the paper displays in the entrance. The damage was minor. A week earlier, someone set a basket on fire in the church. The police began an investigation and sought witnesses.
Arson at Swiss Church
March 3, 2020, SwitzerlandOn the afternoon of March 3rd, an arson attack was committed in the Eusebiuskirche in Grenchen. Fortunately, the fire was discovered before major damage was caused. The police are looking for witnesses.
Charente-Maritime: the Church of Port-d'Envaux desecrated, vandalized, and looted
February 22, 2020, FranceParishioners discovered vandalism, desecration, and theft in the Saint-Saturnin-de-Séchaud church in Port d'Envaux on February 22nd. They found the door of the sacristy broken, the door of the tabernacle forced open, consecrated hosts stolen, and the altar of the Virgin Mary damaged. All objects of value were stolen from the sacristy.
Violent Burglary in Saint-Charbel Monastery
February 13, 2020, BelgiumThree masked individuals armed with a crowbar burst into the Saint-Charbel Monastery in Ophain-Bois-Seigneur-Isaac between 2:30 and 3:30 a.m. on February 13th. The intruders detained a monk and forced him to open various doors, including those of a parish office and furniture containing offerings. The identity of the perpetrators and extent of the loss have not been determined. The monastery, run by the Lebanese Maronite Order, is home to refugees hosted by the monks.
Arson in Oetwil am See Church
February 7, 2020, SwitzerlandOn February 7th, shortly before 5 a.m., heavy smoke came from the Kirche am Chilenrain in Oetwil am See. According to the Zurich cantonal police, the fire caused property damage of several hundred thousand francs. A 41-year-old was arrested on suspicion of setting the fire.
Desecration of Tabernacle and Theft in Carrión de los Céspedes
January 29, 2020, SpainJust two days after the desecration and theft from the chapel of the Clinical Hospital of Valencia, a group of thieves attacked the parish of Carrión de los Céspedes in Seville, stealing several religious objects and the gold crowns of the two figures of the Virgin of the Rosary and the Child Jesus that were prepared for a procession on February 1st for the 400th anniversary of the Brotherhood of the Rosary of Carrión.
Consecrated Hosts Stolen from Chapel Moments Before Mass
January 26, 2020, SpainOn January 26th, moments before the celebration of the evening Mass, unknown perpetrators removed the monstrance holding the consecrated host, a pyx (a small round container holding a consecrated host), and a ciborium with fifty consecrated hosts inside from the tabernacle of the Chapel of the Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valencia. The monstrance was later found in the chapel's confessional and dozens of consecrated hosts were discovered scattered on the street.
12-Year-Old Boy Attacked at Paris School for Wearing Cross
January 14, 2020, FranceOn January 14th, at the collège Marx-Dormoy, in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, a 12-year-old boy of Serbian origin was brutally attacked for not removing a chain necklace on which a cross hung under his clothes. The website Svi Sribi u Parizu (All Serbs in Paris) reported that the alleged attackers were five other 11-year-old pupils. When he refused to remove it, the alleged attackers surrounded him. One of the boys pushed him to the ground, and all of them started kicking him. The boy was beaten all over his body, resulting in serious injuries to his face and genitals. The attack ended when other pupils screamed for help.