There have been more than 600 attacks on places of worship in Northern Ireland in the last five years, prompting renewed calls for action to protect churches and other religious buildings.

Following a Freedom of Information request to the PSNI, CARE NI can today reveal that since 2014/15, there have been 601 crimes recorded as criminal damage to religious buildings, churchyards or cemeteries in Northern Ireland across the 11 policing districts.

On average this means in the last five years an attack on a place of worship has taken place approximately every three days. Belfast City has seen the most, with 173 attacks, more than a quarter of the total number.

With lockdown restrictions beginning to ease and churches returning to worship services, CARE NI said today that the Executive needs to consider policies to ensure places of worship are properly protected.

The charity has previously called for a Places of Worship: Protective Security Funding Scheme to be set up, mirroring a similar scheme available in England and Wales.

Created in July 2016, the fund provides financial resources so places of worship can buy security measures such as CCTV, fencing and lighting.

The Scottish Government has announced they are introducing a similar scheme there, leaving Northern Ireland as the only part of the United Kingdom without such a scheme.

Rev Aaron McAlister, Rector of Derriaghy Parish Church, said he would support additional Government measures to protect places of worship:

“In November 2019, our Church was broken in to and vandalised. Significant damage was caused to our vestry and our sanctuary.

“The individuals concerned managed to get in behind our organ while searching for valuables but fortunately there was nothing to take.

“It left many of my parishioners deeply upset. An attack on a place of worship is an attack on the community that worships there.

“Rather than getting on with serving our community, we have had to spend valuable hours repairing the damage caused.

“I would support additional Government measures to protect places of worship. Action to prevent attacks happening to other faith communities would be hugely welcome.”

CARE NI Policy Officer, Mark Baillie, said:

“Across Northern Ireland, churches and other places of worship have been attacked with alarming regularity and it makes sense, therefore, to consider introducing a security fund.

“More than 600 attacks in the last five years is a reminder that places of worship, which should be safe spaces for worshippers and congregants, are all too often targeted by vandalism and violence.

“The gradual easing of lockdown will surely only increase the opportunity and risk of further attacks and therefore, it’s important MLAs take action.

“Last year, following CARE’s NI previous research into this issue, we wrote to the party leaders asking for a manifesto commitment to create a security fund.

“We had positive engagement with a number of political parties and we are today calling on the Northern Ireland Executive to take this up.

“It is a human right for individuals to live out and practice their religious beliefs and attacks on places of worship offend against those rights.

“The scheme in England and Wales is a practical step we could introduce here to equip places of worship to invest in adequate security to prevent criminal damage.

“In a free and democratic society, no-one should be afraid of gathering together with those who share their faith in a place of worship.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

For interview requests or more information please contact James Mildred: james.mildred@care.org.uk // 07717516814

CARE is a well-established mainstream Christian charity providing resources and helping to bring Christian insight and experience to matters of public policy and practical caring initiatives. CARE is represented in the UK Parliaments and Assemblies.

Last year, CARE NI revealed there’d been nearly 450 attacks on places of worship in 2016-2019: https://care.org.uk/news/2019/08/revealed-more-than-400-attacks-on-ni-places-of-worship-in-last-3-years

Some notable examples of attacks on places of worship over the last five years:

• In July 2020, St Saviour’s Church in Craigavon suffered an arson attack.

• In April 2020, Brantry Parish Church was attacked with a window smashed and damage caused to the interior.

• In February 2020, a Catholic Church in Larne was targeted with a paint bomb

• In August 2019, Ballyclare Free Presbyterian Church had a section of the wall of its hall ripped out.

• On 21 April 2019, Easter Sunday, Sacred Heart Church in Ballyclare was attacked with paint.

• In March 2019, vandals caused significant damaged in a disused church, the Church of the Resurrection on the Cavehill Road in Belfast.

• In July 2018, St Mary's parish church, in Limavady was sprayed with paramilitary graffiti reading ‘UDA’ and ‘UFF.’

• In April 2018, two churches, Carrickmore Chapel in Co Tyrone and St Patrick's Cathedral in Co Armagh, were vandalised with graffiti prior to the referendum on abortion in the Republic of Ireland.

• In September 2017, Christ Church in Londonderry was vandalised. Vandals broke glass windows dating back to 1800s, defecated and urinated on the premises and destroyed the organ.

• In January 2017, St Patrick's Church on Donegall Street in Belfast was set on fire in an arson attack, causing over £10,000 worth of damage.

• In July 2016, Saintfield Road Presbyterian Church suffered two arson attacks on their property leading to extensive damage. It took two years for the church to fully reopen.

• Both the Belfast Synagogue and Belfast Islamic Centre have suffered property damage in the last 10 years as well.

The Home Office launched the Places of Worship: Protective Security Funding Scheme in 2016: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/places-of-worship-security-funding-scheme

In March 2019, the Home Office announced more funding: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/places-of-worship-to-get-security-funding-boost