Lviv police open case against man for desecrating Statue of Virgin Mary

Vandal desecrated a statue of the Virgin Mary in Lviv. Photo: National Police of Ukraine

On August 13, 2026, police in Lviv opened a criminal case against a 46-year-old local resident who desecrated a statue of the Virgin Mary on Liubinska Street. The vandal faces a penalty of up to five years of restricted liberty for hooliganism.

Police had earlier received a report that the statue had been damaged. An investigative team from the Lviv District Police Department immediately arrived at the scene. Officers established that the perpetrator had drawn on the sculpture with a black marker and also damaged flowers at its base.

During operational measures, police quickly identified the suspect. The desecration was committed by a 46-year-old resident of Lviv. Investigators from the local police unit, under the procedural supervision of the Frankivsk District Prosecutor’s Office, opened criminal proceedings under Part 1 of Article 296 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine – hooliganism.

Police are conducting a pre-trial investigation and deciding whether to formally notify the suspect of suspicion. The article provides for a substantial fine, probation supervision, or restriction of liberty for up to five years.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that vandals in Bosnia desecrated a statue of the Virgin Mary and set an altar on fire.

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