Vandals behead Virgin Mary statue on Italian island of Ischia
Beheaded statue of the Virgin Mary on the island of Ischia. Photo: NapoliToday
In the Italian municipality of Forio, unknown perpetrators desecrated a roadside statue of the Virgin Mary. The vandals cut off the head of the Madonna della Pelara statue in the village of Panza – the third such act of sacrilege on the island of Ischia, NapoliToday reports.
Residents of Panza expressed deep dismay and outrage over yet another desecration of the Christian shrine. The local Pro Loco association issued a statement on social media describing the incident as an open rejection of religious imagery.
Representatives of the organization stressed that the incident could not be dismissed as an accident or an ordinary act of hooliganism. According to the activists, someone in the community is fundamentally hostile to traditional Christian symbols.
The organization said it plans to repair the damaged statue in the near future.
As the UOJ reported, Lviv police opened a case against a man over the desecration of a statue of the Virgin Mary.
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