Lima, Peru, May 4, 2012 / 15:08 pm
Catholics in northeastern Perú are concerned by a group of vandals who recently destroyed three major statues at a local parish.
The attacks were carried out on statues of the Child Jesus, the Virgin Mary and St. Francis of Assisi outside Holy Spirit Parish in the city of Iquitos, located in the rainforest province of Loreto.
According to the news program Primera Edicion, the vandals knocked down the railings of the grotto where the statues were displayed and cut off their heads and arms. They placed a skull on the statues of Jesus and St. Francis in place of their heads.
It was the first time such an incident has occurred in Iquitos, sparking great concern among local residents. Federal agents have been an investigation into the incident to track down those responsible.