Pensioner accused of defacing church wall
A pensioner faces charges for defacing the wall of a church, it has been announced.The 64-year-old man, who has a criminal record, is accused of smearing white paint on the outside wall of a Roman Catholic Chapel in his hometown Steinberg-Dörfl, according to police in Burgenland.The man, who denies the actions, previously accused police of “stalking him”. The pensioner also claims authorities took his children away from him. He has also disrupted masses and funerals several times during the past few years.A police officer said removing the graffiti will be expensive since the used substance is similar to that used by road workers marking streets.At the same time, police in Styria are investigating after the walls of Austrias most important pilgrimage site were defaced with anti-Islamic statements.Officials in the town of Mariazell said last month the graffiti on the outside wall of the Mariazell Basilica was 30 metres long and one metre high. The slogans read “Der Koran ist dem Teufel seine Bibel” (Koran is the bible of the devil) and “Am Horizont taucht der Teufel auf” (The devil appears on the horizon”).The church is Austrias best known pilgrimage site and a major tourist attraction. Tens of thousands of people from all over the world visit it every year.