A 31-year-old Polish national has been arrested in Bosnia and Herzegovina following a series of vandalism acts at the Medjugorje pilgrimage site.
According to the Polish newspaper Do Rzeczy, the suspect, identified as Bartłomiej Włodzimierz Krakowiak, defaced several statues of the Virgin Mary on Apparition Hill and near the Blue Cross by throwing black paint over them overnight on July 27. He was also accused of setting fire to the outdoor altar located behind the St. James parish church before being apprehended by police in the nearby village of Černo (Ljubuški).
During the incident, Krakowiak defaced the statue of the Virgin Mary with graffiti reading “Devil in a skirt,” along with slogans condemning the pilgrimage site and its visionaries. Local reports revealed that the suspect had previously traveled to the site as a pilgrim after being diagnosed with severe depression, documenting his spiritual journey on social media.
The vandalism occurred during a peak pilgrimage season, just prior to the 37th International Youth Festival, which is expected to draw approximately 50,000 young people from across the globe.
The statue of the Virgin Mary has since been cleaned and fully restored by volunteers.
