A new report released Friday reveals an increase in anti-Christian hate crimes in Europe over the last year.
The Vienna, Austria-based nonprofit watchdog Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination Against Christians in Europe (OIDAC Europe) released its annual report for 2022/2023 on Friday, the International Day of Tolerance.
Last year alone, OIDAC Europe said it recorded reliable reports of 748 anti-Christian hate crimes in 30 different countries. The attacks included arson, graffiti, desecrations, thefts, physical attacks, insults, and threats.
According to the organization, these numbers match the data in the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Hate Crime Report released on Thursday. The OSCE found 792 anti-Christian hate crimes in 34 European countries. This finding makes Christians the second-most targeted religious group after Jews, according to the report.
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Arson attacks on church buildings sharply increased by 75% between 2021 and 2022. Incidents of arson rose from 60 attacks in 2021 to 105 in 2022, OIDAC Europe said.
The report also noted the increase in hate crimes perpetrated by radicalized members of ideological, political, or religious groups
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