More anti-Christian hate crimes across Europe

Anti-Christian hate crimes in Europe rose in the course of the month of January, in response to the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination Against Christians in Europe (OIDAC).

The group reports 39 recorded anti-Christian hate crimes, normally targeting places of worship and symbols, fairly than individuals.

There were 18 incidents of vandalism, 10 arson attacks, five cases of desecration, and 4 thefts targeting religious symbols.

Three cases involved violence against Christians, including an assault on a street preacher within the Netherlands.

Ten of the incidents took place in Italy, eight in Germany and 7 in France. Seven other countries saw a minimum of one incident.

OIDAC noted that January saw an unusually high variety of arson related attacks, most of which were in Germany and Italy.

Outside of the EU, there have been two recorded incidents within the UK and one in Ukraine. One of the incidents within the UK involved the police banning a planned “Walk With Jesus” in Whitechapel as a consequence of the danger of significant disorder stemming from a hostile response from the largely Muslim populace of the world.

Recently the European Parliament passed a resolution reaffirming its opposition to all types of prejudice and discrimination, including anti-Christian persecution, and recognising its failure to appoint a coordinator to cope with Christianophobia when it has a completely functioning anti-Islamophobia coordinator. The resolution was welcomed by OIDAC.

The group said that “the [European] Parliament not only acknowledges the worldwide scale of anti-Christian persecution but in addition highlights an institutional asymmetry throughout the EU’s existing anti-discrimination architecture”.

Despite describing the 39 recorded incidents as a “rise”, it’s entirely possible that the true variety of anti-Christian hate crimes is far higher as a report published last 12 months suggested that anti-Christian hate crimes are sometimes “downplayed, under-reported or politically ignored”.

Previously published data by OIDAC suggested that in 2024 there have been over 2,200 anti-Christian hate crimes in Europe, pointing to a monthly average of over 180.

OIDAC director Anja Tang-Hoffman said the newest figures “point to the necessity for sustained monitoring, effective preventive measures, and proportionate law enforcement responses”.

“Ensuring the protection of places of worship and the free and secure exercise of faith stays a core obligation of states under European human rights standards and a vital part of social cohesion and pluralism,” she said.