Residents are terrified and talk about desecration, and the police are trying to find the perpetrator. In Strzelce County, Opole Voivodeship, someone is stealing figurines and sacred images from roadside shrines and replacing them with caricatures of saints.
A Styrofoam sculpture depicting Jesus Christ in a caricatural way literally terrified the residents. – Everyone opens their eyes, what happened, where it is. It's simply unbelievable – says Róża Willim, the village head of Rozimierz.
Residents talk about desecration. Previously, there was a painting of the Virgin Mary in that place, which disappeared. – The painting of the Virgin Mary was stolen and a figure of Jesus was put in its place, but something terrible. This figure is, I don't know what to call it anymore. A caricature of Jesus, no words – sums up Róża Willim.
Figurines and paintings disappear
Everything indicates that this is not accidental, and certainly not the only such situation. Figurines and sacred images placed in roadside shrines have been disappearing for some time now in nearby towns.
– The first incident took place in Łaziska. There, an unknown perpetrator stole a figurine of Saint. Anna. Instead of this figure, he inserted a caricature of Jesus Christ whose hands were tied with a rope. However, in Rozmierz, the perpetrator stole a painting of the Virgin Mary – says junior asp. Dorota Janać from the District Headquarters in Strzelce Opolskie.
The figurines left by the perpetrator are similar to each other. They present images of saints in a mocking way with a characteristic grimace on their faces. They look handmade.
The residents look for the perpetrator on their own
– Everything is done in the same style. The features of the face and this figure are in the same style, only in different reflections, in different sizes, in different figures – says Sandra Willim, a resident of Rozimierz.
Residents are trying to find the person responsible for this on their own.
Under this post on social media, residents of subsequent towns multiply examples of almost identical situations.
– We don't know what's going on with it. We do not know whether the author had in mind the creation of some new art, whether it is theft, or whether it is a desecration of religious feelings, cultural, religious and national heritage, which is very strongly held in our region – wonders Sandra Willim.
For the inhabitants of the region, these places of worship are extremely important. Stolen items have sentimental value for them.
– This painting was valuable because it was painted by our painter and the painting was stolen or destroyed. We don't know, maybe we'll find it again, but we have sentimental attachment to this painting because it's ours – emphasizes Róża Willim.
These events were initially classified as theft and insulting religious feelings.
– We don't want it to just be destroyed. Today we don't know where all the things, figurines and paintings that were there are, so we hope that they will be found and this person will be detained, says Sandra Willim.
On New Year's Day, in one of the towns, a thief gave away a figurine and put 200 zlotys next to it. Residents hope that more sculptures will be completed.
Main photo source: TVN24