“Krone” has figures: hundreds of vandalism in churches in Styria

This shameful act shocked many believers in Graz: two years ago, Satanists destroyed the St. Vincent de Paul Church of the late pastor for the poor, Wolfgang Pucher. However, this sacrilege of vandalism was just one of many acts committed on our places of worship and cemeteries in recent years. Most of them simply did not reach the public – this is evident from a parliamentary question that Interior Minister Gerhard Karner of the ÖVP sent to Hannes Amesbauer, member of the FPÖ National Council. The figures are available for the “Krone” – and the facts are hard.

Accordingly, 309 crimes were reported in churches and other religious buildings between 2020 and 2023. Perpetrators often destroyed sacred interiors: in total, the police had to be deployed 106 times due to sometimes serious material damage. In addition, there were 110 thefts or thefts by burglary or with a weapon (86).

Sexual harassment was also reported
In each of the four years examined, there was one complaint of sexual harassment and sexual acts in public, suppression of documents and alienation of means of payment. In total, the damage amounted to 107,000 euros, 95 people were listed as suspects, 27 of whom were non-Austrians.

Particularly sad: the vandals did not even stop at our cemeteries; the police registered 181 crimes! The list of advertisements also includes dozens of cases of property damage (61), and brazen thieves also struck more than a hundred times. Individual cases of drug abuse and sexual assaults were also documented.