In July, number of vandalism cases in European churches doubled, report says

The cover of OIDAC Europe’s July report. Photo: OIDAC Europe

Human rights defenders recorded a twofold increase in vandalism cases at Christian churches in Europe in July 2026. Representatives of the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe (OIDAC Europe) published their monthly report.

In total, during July, specialists recorded forty hate crimes against Christian communities. The largest number of attacks occurred in Germany, where 15 incidents were registered. France ranked second with 10 cases of intolerance. In Italy, human rights defenders recorded five incidents, in the United Kingdom – three, in Poland – two. One case each occurred in Austria, Denmark, Ireland, Finland, and Turkey.

The rise in desecrations of religious sites became the main trend of July, when the number of such crimes increased to 18. Perpetrators desecrated churches, monuments, crosses, parish cemeteries, and liturgical vessels. These attacks forced believers to temporarily close churches, reduce visiting hours, or move Sunday services to other locations. For example, a congregation in Sheerness, United Kingdom, moved its Sunday services to a local café due to regular attacks on church windows with slingshots.

In addition to vandalism, human rights defenders highlighted several cases of arson and desecration of sacred objects. In the German city of Hamm, police uncovered a plot by a teenage ISIS supporter who planned to set fire to a Christian church. In Kelheim, perpetrators burned a liturgical book inside a church. In the Irish town of Tramore, an unknown assailant stabbed a woman with a knife while she was praying before the start of Mass.

Cases of attacks on individual believers are of particular concern to human rights defenders. In Regensburg, Germany, criminals beat an asylum seeker because of a pectoral cross he was wearing. The authorities refused to recognize the religious motive as the key factor in the attack, describing it as secondary. Representatives of OIDAC Europe emphasized the need for more thorough consideration of the religious factor when recording such crimes.

As the UOJ reported, vandals ransacked the Transfiguration Chapel in Greece.

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