Kościuki has about ten stone crosses, some dating back to before the World Wars and considered cultural and national heritage by the locals. Two weeks ago, one of these crosses was knocked over. The residents repaired it and added a small statue of Jesus. “We initially thought it was due to the wind or the Roads Authority staff working nearby,” says Mr. Dariusz Śliwonik, a councillor for the municipality of Choroszcz.

Kościuki is the same village where a statue of Mary was vandalized at the end of July, with its eyes gouged out and hands cut off. This incident also shocked the community. “After what happened in the neighboring village, we started to suspect that someone was deliberately vandalizing religious objects,” says a resident.

Two days after the initial repair, the cross was broken again, and the figure of Jesus was thrown into the bushes. The cross was repaired once more, only to be defaced again the next day. Both the concrete cross and the figure of Jesus were severely damaged. “It seems someone cut it with an angle grinder or something similar. The hands and feet of Jesus were cut off,” a local government official reports. Residents note that such an act of vandalism has never occurred before, not even during the war. The councillor confirmed that the case has been reported to the police.

The Municipal Office in Choroszcz asserts, “There is no tolerance for any acts of vandalism, especially those targeting symbols or religious artifacts.”

Source: polskieradio24.pl