The Legnica District Prosecutor’s Office has launched an investigation into offending the religious feelings of members of the Greek Catholic Parish of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Legnica. The incident occurred on September 13. It concerns the theft of a cross worth PLN 10,000 from the central dome of the Orthodox church and damage to the roof of the church’s dome by driving several construction anchors into its surface, causing losses amounting to PLN 30,000.
Investigators are establishing the following facts:
The act was committed on the eve of the feast, that is, the day before the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, for which ceremonies involving numerous Catholic and Greek Catholic church hierarchs had been planned.
What was established?
At around 4:30 a.m., the perpetrators climbed a ladder onto the dome of the church roof at 180 Wrocławska Street. They then drove approximately 20 construction anchors into the roof covering and, using an alpine climbing rope and this structure, reached the cross, measuring 2 by 2 metres and weighing approximately 100 kilograms. They cut it down with specialist equipment, transported it to the ground and cut it into smaller pieces.
The parish priest reported the crime. He estimated the total losses at PLN 40,000.
The perpetrators could face up to five years in prison.
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